Belt and Road Opportunities for Myanmar

By U Sein Win Aung

Since its establishment in 2011， the Myanmar-China Friendship Association （MCFA） has held tight to its mission of promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and Myanmar while performing considerable practical work in this area. Now， branching out from its headquarters in Yangon are MCFA locations in Mandalay （central Myanmar）， Taunggyi （capital of the Shan State in eastern Myanmar）， Lashio （largest town in northern Shan State）， the bustling border town of Muse （northern Shan State） and Mawlamyine （a district in the Mon State）.

Why is it necessary to promote the friendly relations between China and Myanmar？

China is now the second largest economy in the world， which is an indisputable fact. To Myanmar， China and India are two big neighboring countries with more than 1 billion people each. India is the oldest democratic country in the world， and some of its high-tech fields have solidified international leading positions. China is the largest developing country and the largest exporter in the world. Myanmar and China share more than 2，000 kilometers of border. It is crucial for Myanmar to establish a sound rapport with both China and India.

As a geographic wedge between China and India， Myanmar should consider China as a great “opportunity” rather than “challenge” or “concern.” When Myanmar encountered difficult situations， China offered us support and assistance. We do not have any excuse not to maintain friendly relations with China. The people spreading anti-China rhetoric are letting Myanmar down.

China and Myanmar are not simply close neighbors—they also maintain a long-standing Paukphaw friendship. Alongside economic cooperation， Myanmar must also cooperate with China in many other fields such as military， security， national reconciliation， culture and education as well as scientific and technological development.

Why Participate in the Belt and Road？

The “Belt and Road” has become a popular phrase in reference to Chinas role in the international community. Another new phrase， “China-Myanmar economic corridor，” also recently emerged to strengthen bilateral relations. Not many people in Myanmar fully understand the magnitude of these two development programs， so I suggest people conduct thorough research and actively make specific plans for Myanmar to advance docking of the development strategies of China and Myanmar， open up an international transport route between the two countries， expand areas that drive economic development and broaden fields of exchange and cooperation.

The Belt and Road Initiative， proposed by China in 2013， is aimed at promoting the connectivity of countries along the ancient Silk Road and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. China also kindled establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank （AIIB）， which has expanded membership to more than 80 countries including developed countries in Europe. Myanmar was a founding member of the AIIB and has not fallen behind in participation. Our problem is that Myanmar has still not developed a corresponding plan， which is regrettable. Why is Myanmar still hesitating and failing to move forward？ Because some in Myanmar have been influenced by certain anti-China media outlets and continue to be apprehensive about China. This is sad.

Not long ago， I visited Laos and Cambodia， where I met many old friends. They asked me why Myanmar isnt participating more in Chinas “Belt and Road”. I was speechless. Both Laos and Cambodia were once colonies and share similar histories with Myanmar. However， they have both already merged into the fast lane of development via the “Belt and Road.” Today， Myanmar imports energy from Laos， where China aided construction of power plants. Myanmar rejected Chinese construction of power plants in the country， leaving tens of thousands in Myanmar without access to electricity. If we dont have electricity， how can Myanmar develop？

China is also now collaborating with Thailand， Laos， Singapore and other ASEAN countries to construct railways and high speed rails. But Myanmar continues to hesitate.

Some irresponsible Myanmar media outlets have underhandedly exaggerated the risks of joining the Belt and Road at expense of the truth. For instance， the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline is a giant project jointly built by six organizations from five countries. But anti-China media outlets are arguing that China is plundering resources. The oil transported in the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline is drilled in the Middle East and only “passes through” Myanmar as it earns toll revenues for the country. Because Myanmar would earn toll revenues in U.S. dollars based on flow of every ton of oil， our country has been collecting considerable revenues in U.S. dollars thanks to the project.

At the same time， China National Petroleum Corporation （CNPC） built more than 70 schools and hospitals in the region along the China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline and created jobs for thousands of local residents. So why are some irresponsible media outlets in Myanmar still opposing the Belt and Road？

The Myanmar government should not listen to such irresponsible rhetoric or the country will never enjoy progress.

Positive Energy for China-Myanmar Ties

The MCFA has achieved impressive results across the six years since it was established in 2011. Its branch in Lashio has actively cooperated with China in fields such as agriculture， food processing and animal husbandry， which has made headway. The MCFA branch in Taunggyi has maintained close relationships with some local Chinese governments and conducted various friendly visits. Its branch in Mandalay has accomplished remarkable achievements in terms of international promotion of the Chinese language and vocational teaching.

In order to further advance the development of Sino-Myanmar friendly relations， I suggest the following：

Firstly， we must do the work if it benefits peoples from the two countries. Myanmar should fully support construction of the Belt and Road—not just verbally support it， but establish think tanks to conduct thorough research and formulate specific plans to promote the fundamental implementation of the Belt and Road and “China-Myanmar economic corridor.” Doing so would ensure mutually beneficial and win-win results for the two peoples.

Secondly， Myanmar should implement projects such as international promotion of the Chinese language and vocational teaching. In this regard， the MCFA branch in Mandalay has done well， and the MCFA also offered its full support. The MCFA will spare no efforts to advance communication with the education authority in Myanmar.

Thirdly， Myanmar should pay close attention to both the international situation and the development of bilateral relations. We will not only do our best to evolve alongside the environment， but also conduct research on specific issues. It is our duty to refute rumors of ulterior motives. Creating chaos should be absolutely forbidden as should attempts to incite the people， and we should only inject positive energy into society.

Fourthly， Myanmars central government has been collaborating with some associations of Chinese companies to maintain the sustainable development of the MCFA. Chinese enterprises are a force that Myanmar cannot afford to ignore.