Myanmar Media on Chinese Tech Development

Wang Fang

“This is my fourth visit to China，” said Aye Kyu， editor-in-chief of Democratic Wave， the official paper of the National League for Democracy （NLD） of Myanmar. “With each visit， I have personally experienced the rapid development of the Chinese economy.” He noted that he has closely followed the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in countries along the route. “This is an international development program， which will exert a huge impact on all countries， especially developing countries.”

Aye Kyu made the trip as head of a group of 13 journalists from mainstream media outlets of Myanmar embarking on a week-long journey with China Report ASEAN to report on the Two Sessions and other developments.

Intelligent Transportation in China

On the morning of March 3， the journalists were drawn to shared bikes parked at the north gate of China International Publishing Group. They tried to ride the bikes and took photos on them. “I read in the news about shared bikes in China，” noted Thet Thet Moe Thu， senior reporter from Democracy Today. “Im quite interested in the development of science and technology in China.”

Actually， shared bikes are not only popular in many Chinese cities； they have also popped up in the streets and alleys of many ASEAN countries including Singapore， Malaysia and Thailand. Public data show that bike sharing company ofo has facilitated more than 4 billion trips to more than 200 million users in 180 cities of 16 countries around the world.

On March 7， the journalists traveled on a maglev train from the south railway station to the airport in Changsha， capital of Hunan Province in central China. “This is my first experience on a maglev train，” revealed Htet Htet Win， a reporter from Myanmar International Radio. “Its quiet and stable. Its hard to imagine how train can travel on air.”

Thawtar Htet Htet， anchor of Sky Net， noted that Myanmar is still working on its infrastructure and transportation. Myanmar has a pointed interest in Chinas development in transportation. “We hope China can introduce maglev train technology to Myanmar，” he said.

Liu Hong， an engineer with Hunan Maglev Traffic Development Company， told journalists that the maglev railway in Changsha is designed for medium and low-speed maglev trains with a maximum speed of 100km/h. “Compared to traditional wheel-rail traffic， it is more flexible，” he explained. “Its easier for a maglev railway to steer clear of a building or an obstacle.”

Zuly Moe， a senior reporter with Myanma Alinn Daily， showed particular interest in the cost of construction of the maglev railway. Liu explained that the initial investment is relatively small. The cost of an underground railway is 600 to 800 million yuan （US$90-120 million） per kilometer. The cost of a light railway is 200 to 300 million yuan （US$30-45 million） per kilometer. The cost for the Changsha maglev railway was only 195 million yuan （US$30 million） per kilometer.

Thet Thet Moe Thu declared that she thoroughly enjoyed her travel experience on the high-speed train and the maglev. She said she likes the available transportation in China， which is scientifically advanced. “From Myanmars perspective， China has achieved so much in so many areas，” she said. “Im quite interested in Chinas development in science and technology， the sector in which development is most needed in Myanmar.”

China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline

On March 6， the journalists visited China National Petroleum Corporation （CNPC） to interview Wang Hongtao， deputy general-manager of the international department of the company.

“The China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline project won a lot of support from heads of state and governments of both sides，” remarked Wang. “It is a successful model of win-win cooperation.”

Wang explained to the journalists that the 700-km pipeline snakes from Made Island on the western coast of Myanmar to Ruili in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. It is only part of the 15，000 kilometers of pipelines that CNPC has built overseas. The cooperation with Myanmar started in 2001. Alongside this pipeline are three additional oil and gas exploration projects at sea.

When asked why CNPC chose to invest in Myanmar， Wang replied that CNPCs investment aimed for win-win cooperation and common development. “As we often say in China， close neighbors are better than distant relatives，” he quipped. “We chose to invest in Myanmar primarily because we cherish friendly relations between the two countries. Economic and cultural exchange and cooperation are pillars of our friendship. The economic and trade cooperation between our countries will lay a more solid foundation for greater friendship.”

Zuly Moe asked about the job opportunities the project created for the local population. Zhang Liyan， public relations manager of the pipeline project， responded that 2.9 million job opportunities were created for the local population across the entire construction. During the peak period， 6，000 local workers were employed. CNPC even provided specialized training for local employees. For example， a number of welders and electrical operators were trained in cooperation with local training institutions. Chinese specialists on the ground shared their experience with trainees.

Wang Hongtao remarked to a question that environmental protection has been a primary concern of the project since the beginning. The design and construction of the project were both environment-friendly. CNPC is vigorously developing natural gas， which has made a positive contribution to Chinas environmental protection and low-carbon development. The pipeline will also contribute to the low-carbon development of Myanmar.

“The pipeline project is an international business cooperation project，” declared Zhou Yingqiu， chief accountant of the project. “This project has brought tangible benefits to the Myanmar government and the people of Myanmar. We hope it will contribute more to the future development of Myanmar.”

Renewable Energy Cooperation

For a long time， electricity shortages have plagued the people of Myanmar. During their journey， the Myanmar journalists also focused on how to develop and make good use of renewable energy.

The journalists paid a visit to the Hanergy Renewable Energy Exhibition Center in Beijings Olympic Park. “Renewable energy is the trend of future development，” affirmed Tha Sein， chief editor of Myanmar News Agency. “Most parts of Myanmar faces power shortages. We hope to cooperate with China in renewable energy such as solar， wind and hydropower.”

During the visit， Htet Htet Win revealed that she had never before seen such a high-tech solar energy exhibition center. From the visit， she learned how solar energy generates electricity and the impact it makes on the environment and lifestyles. She believes Myanmar is in urgent need of this kind of renewable energy.

“Myanmar is very rich in water resources， which， however， have not been fully utilized because of environmental concerns，” explained Tha Sein. “Many villages in Myanmar still do not have access to electricity. They are in great need of hydroelectric development.”

On the morning of March 8， the Myanmar journalists traveled on a high-speed train from Changsha to Huaihua， a city in the mountains of western Hunan， to see the Hongjiang and Tuokou Hydropower Plants and gain a better understanding of hydroelectric development in China.

“The environment is so beautiful here. Unbelievable！” exclaimed Htet Htet Win upon seeing the dam in Hongjiang. She had expected that construction of such a large dam would cause immeasurable damage to the ecological environment， but Hongjiang seemed to blend right in.

Several other Myanmar journalists had the same concern. Zuly Moe expressed belief that hydroelectric would surely benefit the people and make a big difference in their lives—her only reservation was the impact on the environment.

After years of development， China has become one of the worlds most cutting-edge producers of hydroelectric technology. In the process of “going global，” Chinese enterprises have paid particular attention to protection of the ecological environment. They have strictly abided by relevant laws and regulations to balance hydropower development and ecological protection.

“What impressed me most on this journey was the hydroelectric power in China，” asserted Tha Sein. “Chinese companies have rich experience in hydropower plant construction and operation as well as ecological protection. I want to learn more about hydropower in China and inform my readers in Myanmar about these developments.”