In the offset calendar week of July, Myanmar formally announced that Red People's Republic of China together with Myanmar receive got agreed to a 15-point Memorandum of Understanding on edifice a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor every bit utilisation of the Belt Road Initiative. Formal signing of the understanding is expected to convey house soon. The Corridor volition run from Yunnan Province of Red People's Republic of China to Mandalay inward Central Myanmar, so decease along eastward towards Yangon together with so W to the already established Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the Bay of Bengal. The 2 Governments receive got agreed to collaborate inward many sectors that would include basic Infrastructure, Construction, Manufacture, Agriculture, Transport, Finance, Human Resources Development, telecommunications, Research together with Technology. This would embrace a broad spectrum of most economical together with social activities. The existent thrust is inward developing a geo strategic infrastructure for the Chinese together with the residue are mere dressings that volition movement into acceptable to the public.
The understanding is to a greater extent than of a full general i having a large matrix to embrace nearly everything, but in that place volition live on private working groups together with articulation working committees on each projection therefore giving Myanmar a considerable ‘say’ inward every project.
There is no dubiety that a reluctant Myanmar has been coerced to concord to the concept of a ‘corridor’ nether the Belt Road Initiative. Discussions on the economical corridor receive got been going for quite some fourth dimension but Red People's Republic of China started putting pressure level from final Nov that was followed past times high degree visits of Foreign Minister together with the Defence Minister of Red People's Republic of China who pushed for the corridor alongside Suu Kyi. The Army would receive got had no objection every bit it would non only gain goodness Army connected companies but the Generals themselves!
Despite its ain reservations, Myanmar could non receive got declined the MOU, every bit it is theme on Red People's Republic of China on managing the ethnic insurgency inward the North together with the East together with for back upward inward the internaltional fora where the Western Countries together with the International organizations receive got ganged upward to punish Myanmar on the handling of Rohingyas.
The New Planning together with Finance Minister did confess that Myanmar “cannot sidestep the Belt Road first fifty-fifty though they receive got many views regarding the “debt threat.”
Of item involvement to India, would live on the disputation of i of the Analysts from Red People's Republic of China that the Corridor would assistance for Chinese Goods together with Services to menstruation to India! It is interesting that the Chinese receive got expressed similar sentiments when they offered to construct Railway from Keirung to Rasuva together with so to Kathmandu inward Nepal. From the Chinese indicate of view, the BRI inward this part cannot live on successful without Indian involvement together with alongside 2 corridors both on the West together with the East, the Chinese tin wait. It is also interesting to annotation that Nippon which had initially non supported the Belt Road Initiative, is planning to larn involved selectively, similar some projects inward Thailand!
There are many hurdles inward the proposed Corridor inward Myanmar. It should live on understood that China’s initiatives on developing connectivity are non benign every bit is made out to be.
* The biggest worry volition live on the Kyaukphyu projection together with the Special Economic Zone to live on established past times China. In President Thein Sein’s fourth dimension Red People's Republic of China managed to repeat the “Hambantota” projection of Sri Lanka past times claiming 85 percentage stake inward the projection alongside the Myanmar authorities providing the residue xv percentage stake together with it was agreed to initially. However this came nether severe criticism subsequently from the Public that forced the authorities to re- negotiate the proportionate portion for the 2 countries inward the project. The thought from the Myanmar side is to cutting downward the size of the projection so that Myanmar’s stake could live on to a greater extent than substantial.
* The major thrust of the Corridor is inward the infra construction projects that would need large investments. Myanmar does non receive got the funds together with cannot decease to other international agencies for funds merely every bit Islamic Republic of Pakistan is alleged to live on trying to finance the BRI initiative. It cannot permit either a pre dominant stake for the Chinese companies which inward the long run volition live on ruinous. The possibility of some other Hambantota beingness repeated cannot live on ruled out.
* Luckily for Myanmar, dissimilar before days, world awareness has considerably heightened after the advent of democracy. One expert illustration is the abandonment of the multi billion-dollar Myitsone Project inward Kachin surface area because of a world outcry. The projection was exclusively to gain might for China!
* The Corridor volition run through major conflict ridden areas of Myanmar inward Shan together with Kachin territories together with it volition non live on slow to prepare this surface area unless in that place is stability together with peace inward the region. While the Government on the i manus is looking for a peaceful solution, the Army has intensified its operations inward both Kachin together with Shan regions. The Army’s approach together with renewed escalation of the conflict inward these areas is non for defeating the Kachins but to deny them together with so command the resources rich areas inward which the regular army linked companies together with Chinese draw of piece of employment organisation interests receive got developed a nexus. The Jade mining part of Hpakant inward the Kachin State is i expert example.
The challenge for Myanmar is- every bit i analyst had position it, is that Myanmar tin live on approximately Red People's Republic of China but cannot live on overly theme on it. This Belt Road first alongside huge investments from Red People's Republic of China together with alongside close full inability of Myanmar to pay for it, could larn some other ideal instance for making Myanmar a colony of Red People's Republic of China every bit it had already happened inward Pakistan. The people of Myanmar are aware of it together with volition non allow the Government or the Army to larn totally theme on China!
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