Article
The China Myanmar Economic Corridor: A Reality Check

By : Jaideep Chanda

Page No: 296-332

Abstract 
This paper traces the evolution of the proposed China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and identifies the deliverables as gleaned from the BRI Fora. It gleans information on the components and scope of the CMEC from newspaper reports, documents signed, and statements made, especially during Xi Jinping’s January 2020 visit to Myanmar and other open sources. The paper looks at the status of the Myanmar-China Oil and Gas Pipelines, which predate the BRI but has now got subsumed into it. The paper dwells on the Chinese concept of ‘guanxi’ and the reciprocal Myanmar concept of ‘ah nar de’ to understand how China seeks to obligate Myanmar into providing access to the Bay of Bengal. It argues that the Chinese strategy in Myanmar has changed post the Myitsone project debacle and that China has re-packaged the BRI to make it more acceptable. Lastly, it proposes a three-pronged strategy for India to become a preferred partner in Myanmar’s journey towards development, thereby securing its own flank.

Author :
Jaideep Chanda was Senior Fellow (August 2019 - July 2020) with the VIF and specialises on terrorism, insurgency in the North East, India-Myanmar relations and National Security Studies.