The vice chairman of China’s top economic planning agency has pushed Myanmar’s State Counselor to work out an implementation plan for the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, a part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Chairman Ning Jizhe held talks with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi […]
Myanmar inches slightly ahead of Laos in latest graft index
Myanmar has inched up a few positions to rank 130th in the latest annual index of countries deemed the least corrupt, from 136th in 2016. The country attained a score of 28 in graft watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2017. This was an incremental improvement compared to its score in 2016 (28) and […]
Experts Divided Over Ramifications of Belt and Road Courts on Myanmar
“This is bad news for Myanmar. It will undermine Myanmar’s sovereignty and empower multinational corporations,” said Dr Charlie Thame from Thammasat University. CRITICS questioned Beijing’s decision to set up three commercial courts in China to resolve Belt and Road-related project disputes, arguing that legal disagreements involving transnational investors should be settled in host states or […]
New Myanmar oil pipeline bolsters China’s energy security
The opening of an oil pipeline through Myanmar is a big step forward for China’s energy security, reducing the major importer’s reliance on shipments through waters where the U.S. exerts strong influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Htin Kyaw, his counterpart from Myanmar, agreed Monday to activate an oil pipeline stretching roughly 770km from Kyaukpyu, […]
Oil Pipeline Through Myanmar Highlights China’s Growing Import Dependence
Oil began flowing into a crucial pipeline in Myanmar this week, after years of delay. The pipeline, along with a twin natural gas line running along the same route, is an essential element of China’s strategy to diversify its sources of oil supply. When the pipeline reaches maximum capacity, it could account for as much […]