CHINA IS PLAYING MYANMAR GROUND THE KYAUKPHYU SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE AND CHINA STRATEGIC DEEP-SEA PORT PROJECT

8/11/2020 China’s Strategic Port Project Moves Step Closer to Reality as Myanmar OKs Joint Venture
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/chinas-strategic-port-project-moves-step-closer-reality-myanmar-oks-joint-venture.html 1/5
Burma
China’s Strategic Port Project Moves Step
Closer to Reality as Myanmar OKs Joint
Venture
By NAN LWIN 10 August 2020
 An artist’s rendering of the Kyaukphyu SEZ / CITIC

YANGON—The Myanmar government’s investment agency last week approved the
registration of a joint venture between a Chinese company and a government-backed
committee to develop China’s strategic deep-sea port project in western Rakhine State.
The approval moves the long-delayed backbone project of the China-Myanmar
Economic Corridor (CMEC) one step closer to actually getting oﬀ the ground. The
CMEC forms part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone and deep-sea port project is designed to
provide China with direct access to the Indian Ocean, allowing its oil imports to bypass
the Strait of Malacca and boost development in China’s landlocked Yunnan Province.
The entire project covers 4,300 acres (about 1,750 hectares). It also plans to construct
an industrial zone with facilities for textile and garment manufacturing, construction
materials processing, food processing, pharmaceuticals, electronics, marine supplies
and services, and research.
According to company registration documents from the Directorate of Investment and
Company Administration (DICA), the agency on Thursday approved the registration of
Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Deep Seaport Co. Ltd, a joint venture between
Chinese consortium CITIC Myanmar Port Investment Limited and the Myanmar
government-backed Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee.
According to company extract records from DICA, the Chinese company holds a 70-
percent stake in the venture and the Myanmar committee 30 percent, as agreed by the
two sides in 2018 after several rounds of negotiations.
The China-backed project ran into delays shortly before Myanmar’s 2015 general
election after critics raised concerns that the deal could land Myanmar in a “debt trap”
with China. The initial agreement called for a project worth US$9-10 billion (12.23-13.59
trillion kyats) and gave the Chinese developer an 85-percent stake.

The current National League for Democracy (NDL) government successfully
renegotiated the share ratio with China, along with an agreement that the project
would be based on demand. Later, China agreed that Myanmar would hold a 30-
percent stake. Moreover, the two sides agreed the project would start out on a “small
or medium-sized” scale. After the deal was finalized, the Kyaukphyu SEZ Management
Committee and CITIC inked a framework agreement for the development of the
Kyaukphyu SEZ in 2018.
The two sides agreed that the first phase of the deep-sea port would be implemented
with a $1.5-billion budget.
According to DICA’s records, on the Myanmar side, Deputy Minister of Planning,
Finance and Industry U Set Aung, who is also chair of the Kyaukphyu SEZ Management
Committee, and U Minn Minn, the director general of the Department of Trade under
the Ministry of Commerce, will serve as directors in the joint venture company. On the
Chinese side, CITIC Group (Myanmar) managing director Yuan Shaobin and deputy
managing directors Liu Qing, Shan Liming, Ma Chuanfu and Sun Tiejun will serve as
directors.
In June, Deputy Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo said the two sides had reached a
consensus on the company’s composition. He expressed confidence that construction
of the deep-sea port would get off the ground soon, once the lists of company directors
were approved.
Kyaukphyu SEZ Management Committee Secretary U Yee Win told The Irrawaddy the
project could start once an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) report
was completed.
“Most responsible persons of the company went back to the China after COVID-19
emerged. We still need to hold further discussions relating to the actual construction on

the ground. As far as we know, the company is still carrying out the EIA and SIA. Actual
implementation of the project can start after that,” U Yee Win said.
In July 2019, the Chinese company hired Canadian company HATCH to supervise the
ESIA and a “pre-geo survey”. Last September, the company submitted a project
proposal report (PPR) to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection (MONREC).
In its 2017 report, Koﬁ Annan’s Rakhine Advisory Commission recommended the
Myanmar government conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and labor
assessment for the SEZ before beginning the ESIA process, in order to determine the
likely consequences on local communities, as well as the project’s risks and beneﬁts for
other industries in the area.
However, CITIC said in January that MONREC had determined the deep-sea port
project required an EIA under Myanmar law. The Chinese company said it would
choose an independent consultant to conduct the EIA through a bidding process.
However, the company has yet to announce what progress has been made on the EIA.
According to the Commerce Ministry, the CITIC consortium will own 51 percent of the
industrial zone and the Myanmar government 49 percent. The construction of the
industrial zone will be led by CITIC and a total of 42 private Myanmar companies under
Myanmar Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone Holding Public Company Limited, it said.
You may also like these stories:
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Myanmar Closes Bagan’s Temples Ahead of Weekend Holiday Amid COVID-19 Fears
Topics: BRI, China, Infrastructure, Investment
Nan Lwin
The Irrawaddy
Nan Lwin is Senior Reporter at the English edition of The Irrawaddy. The
Irrawaddy's senior reporter Nan Lw…

8/11/2020 An industrial zone project within the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State will be developed for US$30 billion
www.thaibizmyanmar.com/th/news/detail.php?ID=2948 1/5
An industrial zone project within the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone
(SEZ) in Rakhine State will be developed for US$30 billion
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billion
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An industrial zone project within the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State will be developed
for US$30 billion, deputy commerce minister U Aung Htoo told Pyithu Hluttaw this week.
CITIC Consortium from China owns 51 percent of the industrial zone while the Myanmar government owns 49pc,
he said.
The industrial zone will be developed on 2400 acres of land and a high-end housing project will also be
constructed across 1235 acres.

The Kyaukphyu SEZ, which is expected to consist of the industrial zone and a deep sea port, will be developed
across 4300 acres of land in total.
Development will be led by China's CITIC Consortium and a total of 42 private Myanmar companies under
Myanmar Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Holding Public Co, said U Aung Htoo.
Myanmar will hold a 30pc stake in the SEZ, which will be developed in phases, while CITIC Consortium will invest
70pc.
U Aung Htoo added that negotiations are now being held to start implementation of the first phase at $1.3 billion.
This follows a concession agreement and shareholders’ agreement for the deep-sea port between the two countries
during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nay Pyi Taw last month.
Tenders will be called to carry out social and environmental assessments and geological surveys as part of the
development process.
Development of the Kyaukphyu port will enhance China’s presence in the Indian Ocean, allowing its oil imports to
bypass the Strait of Malacca.
The SEZ is an important asset in the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which is part of China’s Belt and Road
Initiative, which spans several countries in Asia. It will also be an important connecting point for the high-speed
Kunming-Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway project. – Translated
(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/industrial-zone-kyaukphyu-sez-be-built-30m.html
(https://www.mmtimes.com/news/industrial-zone-kyaukphyu-sez-be-built-30m.html))
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8/11/2020 First phase of Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport project expected to cost $ 1.3 bln | Eleven Media Group Co., Ltd
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First phase of Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport project expected to cost $ 1.3
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First phase of Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport project expected to cost $ 1.3 bln
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A jetty in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State.
Published 16 February 2020

Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport project will be developed with the contribution of 70 per cent by the China
International Trust and Investment Corporation Consortium (CITIC) and 30 per cent by Myanmar, said Deputy
Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo.
According to the notification issued by Myanmar Economic Zones Central Committee dated 29 February, 2015,
the project has a total area of 4289.32 acres—607.88 acres for the deep seaport project, 2446.07 acres for the
industrial zone project and 1235.37 acres for the advanced housing project. According to Section 4 (i) of Land
Confiscation Act, Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification dated 29 January, 2016 for the confiscation of
1832.15 acres of land.
A framework agreement was signed by Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee and the
CITIC Consortium from China in Nay Pyi Taw on 8 November, 2018. The agreements pertaining to Kyaukphyu
Special Economic Zone Project and Deep Sea Port Project were signed. On 18 January, 2020, both sides
exchanged the MoUs.

Both projects will be developed by the CITIC Consortium and Myanmar-Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone
Holdings Groups of Company composed of 42 local private companies from Myanmar.
Deputy Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo replied to the question raised by MP U Khin Cho from Hlaingbwe
Constituency at the 15th regular session of Lower House Parliament.
MyOpenAds
Union Minister for Commerce Dr. Than Myint who is also the chair of Myanmar Special Economic Zones Central
Working Body said: “The first phase of the project is expected to cost around 1.3 billion US dollars. Plan is under
way to continue implementing the project if two projects can cover operation costs. We have reached an
agreement with China over the plan.”

8/11/2020 Xinhua Headlines: Kyaukpyu port to become model project in China-Myanmar BRI cooperation - Xinhua | English.news.cn
www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/18/c_138716099.htm 1/15
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Edition
Xinhua Headlines: Kyaukpyu port to become model project in
China-Myanmar BRI cooperation
Source: Xinhua | 2020-01-18 20:49:31 | Editor: huaxia
Home China World Business Culture Sports Sci & Tech In-depth
Entertainment More ∨

Surrounded by superb natural conditions, the Kyaukpyu deep-water port in the western Rakhine State of
Myanmar, is set to become another model project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework,
benefiting both Myanmar and China.
0:00 / 1:50

NAY PYI TAW, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Along the Bay of Bengal on the west tip of Myanmar, the town of Kyaukpyu in Rakhine State
sits tranquilly on a 25-meter deep harbor.
This deep-sea port, surrounded by superb natural conditions, could be developed into another demonstration project under the
framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), mutually benefiting both Myanmar and China.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Myanmar on Jan. 17-18, the two sides agreed to strengthen their BRI
cooperation, and work hard to push forward the construction of the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), according to a
joint statement issued by the two countries on Saturday.
MASTER PLAN
In 2014, the Myanmar government invited bidders from around the world for its plan to set up the Kyaukpyu SEZ, one of the
country's three national SEZs, in an effort to kick-start the local economy and raise living standards.
The master plan includes a deep-sea port and an accompanying industrial park nearby.

Two men ride a motorcycle in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Du Yu)
In 2015, a consortium of six companies led by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) won the
tender for building the Kyaukpyu SEZ. Three years later, after a marathon of negotiations, the CITIC-led consortium struck a
framework agreement with Myanmar on the project.

Port development is divided into four phases, according to the CITIC Group, and the first stage involves the construction of two
berths with a total investment of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. The construction of the port will soon commence after completing
economic and social impact assessments.
With the newly reached consensus, the Kyaukpyu port project should pick up pace, raising hopes the project will substantially
transform the economic landscape of the township and inject fresh vitality into Myanmar's drive for sustainable development
and prosperity for its people.
The CITIC consortium told Xinhua that the port and the industrial park combined will create more than 100,000 jobs each year
for local residents and create tax revenues of 15 billon dollars during the initial franchise period of 50 years.

Photo taken on Jan. 13, 2020 shows students in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar. (Xinhua/Du Yu)
BRI WIN-WIN

More than six years after China first put forward the BRI, a grand undertaking to build a trade and infrastructure network
linking Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond, the Kyaukpyu deep-water port will join the ever-expanding list of BRI projects.
In fact, the port is not only a pivotal point in the "Y"-shaped China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, but also a key project that is
win-win in nature in the global blueprint of BRI cooperation.

Photo taken on Jan. 13, 2020 shows students in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar. (Xinhua/Du Yu)
The multi-purpose container port, if completed, is expected to improve transport and logistics, strengthen inter-connectivity
and spur the local economy.
The deep-water harbor will help China, Myanmar and other countries enhance trade and play an important role in accelerating
regional economic integration.
"With the Kyaukpyu project and the building of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Myanmar can embrace new
development opportunities. It's a win-win affair," said Hu Biliang, executive dean of the Belt and Road School at Beijing
Normal University.
The Kyaukpyu SEZ project could consolidate trade and economic ties between Myanmar and China's southwest region, push
for stronger cooperation in capacity building, and facilitate the development of an export-oriented economy in southwest
China.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Although construction has yet to begin, residents in the town have expressed support for the project, and the hope for more
jobs, higher incomes and better lives.

A girl rides a bicycle in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Du Yu)
"Many people in Rakhine State have left to other cities or gone abroad for work due to lack of jobs here," and creating more
work is the only way to bring them back and help revive the local economy, said Nyeinn Chann Maung, who owns a hotel in
Kyaukpyu and is chairman of Kyaukpyu District Native Ethnic Development Association.

"We face transport difficulties, power shortages, and we don't have a big market, so building only one or two factories alone
cannot change the game," he told Xinhua. "That's why we need a large-scale special economic zone."
"We have been looking forward to this project for quite a long time, like people in dire need of water yearning for a timely rain,"
he said. "With this visit of the Chinese leader, we feel we finally have that long-awaited rain."
Tun Nu, chairman of a local elders' association made up of 18 respected people from various sectors, voiced his hope for
launching the Kyaukpyu SEZ as soon as possible.

Children study in a school in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Du Yu)
"This is a poverty-stricken area, and we want this project to push for development," he said.

The 72-year-old said the deep-sea port would not only boost living standards but provide a growth engine for the local
economy.
Kyaw Kyaw Soe, an entrepreneur who has helped build China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines, showed strong interest in the
port project, saying "We wish to join the project because we want to share the development dividends."
Such a huge investment is bound to instill vitality into local development and push up the gross domestic product of the region,
he said.
FOSTERING TALENT
Because Kyaukpyu remains underdeveloped, young people have little opportunity to receive a higher education. They either
fish for a living or opt to work elsewhere. To help equip young people with more practical skills, the CITIC consortium has set
up a training center.

Local young people study Chinese in CITIC consortium training centre in Kyaukpyu, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 13, 2020.
(Xinhua/Du Yu)
The first training program, which began in September last year and lasted two months, provided English-language and power
engineering courses. The second program designed to teach Chinese is now underway.

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Aye Thandar Linn, who is learning Chinese at the center, is an associate professor at the Government Technical Institute in
Kyaukpyu, which focuses on training young talent for the Kyaukpyu SEZ.
"It will be much easier for me to communicate with Chinese enterprises in the future if I can speak Chinese, when the special
economic zone is completed," she said.
"I also hope mastering Chinese can enable me to get more opportunities for my students, for them to work in Chinese
companies," Aye said. "My expectation is that our graduates land good jobs because of the deep-sea port."
(Video reporters: Jiang Chao, Qiu Bo, Yuan Mengchen, Zhang Dongqiang, Che Hongliang; Video editor: Zheng Xin)

8/11/2020 Feature: How the development of Myanmar's Kyaukpyu port won the hearts of locals - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Editions
Feature: How the development of Myanmar's Kyaukpyu port won
the hearts of locals
Source: Xinhua | 2020-01-20 11:27:42 | Editor: Wang Yamei
NAY PYI TAW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- In the early morning at a pier in the small town of Kyaukpyu on the
northwestern coast of Yanbye Island, local inhabitants are busy unloading goods from the boats
docked alongside.
Sitting on a 25-meter deep natural harbor, Kyaukpyu town, with a population of roughly 45,000,
remains an underdeveloped area in Myanmar's western Rakhine State, and local villagers have long
been looking forward to new development opportunities and higher living standards.
Asia&Pacific China-Asia&Pacific Opinion Window of China Latest Photos Video
Home China World Asia & Pacific Europe Africa North America More ∨

In 2015, a consortium of six companies led by the China International Trust and Investment
Corporation (CITIC) won the tender for building the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), one of
three such zones in the country.
The Kyaukpyu SEZ includes a deep-sea port and an accompanying industrial park nearby.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Myanmar on Jan. 17-18, the two sides agreed to
further push forward the Kyaukpyu SEZ project. The construction of the deep-sea port is expected to
pick up pace, with prospects of boosting employment and the local economy.
The construction of the port, the first phase of which includes two berths with a total investment of 1.3
billion U.S. dollars, will commence after the completion of economic and social impact assessments.
Although more time is needed for the SEZ blueprint to turn from vision to reality, Kyaukpyu residents
hold high expectations for the Kyaukpyu port.
Jobs are what locals speak of most. For now, they are heavily dependent on fishing or farming for a
living, or simply leave their hometown to seek employment elsewhere.
"Many people in Rakhine State have left for other cities or gone abroad for work due to lack of jobs
here," so creating more jobs is the only way to bring them back and help revive the local economy,
said Nyeinn Chann Maung, chairman of Kyaukpyu District Native Ethnic Development Association.
"We face transport difficulties, power shortages, and we don't have a big market, so building only one
or two factories alone cannot change the game," he told Xinhua. "That's why we need a large-scale
special economic zone."

"We have been looking forward to this project for quite a long time, like people in dire need of water
yearning for a timely rain," he said. "With this visit of the Chinese leader, we feel we finally have that
long-awaited rain."
"Kyaukpyu has excellent geographical strengths and I believe the special economic zone will be a
success," he said, adding that the project is significant to all inhabitants and will benefit the
community, he said.
Tun Nu is a retired economy official of the local government, and he now serves as the chairman of a
local elders' association in Kyaukpyu, which is made of respected people from various circles. The
local government often seeks the association's advice on major issues concerning the region's
development.
The 72-year-old said they have delivered reports to Myanmar leaders to voice their support for the
Kyaukpyu SEZ program. "A lot of young people have to migrant to big cities because they can't find
jobs here, so we hope the SEZ can bring work opportunities to local people," he said.
The deep-sea port is expected to consist of two terminals located on Made Island and Yanbye Island.
San Shwe Myint, principal of Ywa Ma Village Elementary School on Made Island, expressed his hope
for more Chinese investment in the Kyaukpyu SEZ.
"We can cooperate to develop many more projects, which will not only improve our economy, but will
also give support for the fiscal revenues of our country," he said.
According to the CITIC-led consortium, the port and the industrial park combined will provide more
than 100,000 jobs each year to local residents and create tax revenues of 15 billion dollars in the
initial franchise period of 50 years.

To help local people acquire practical skills, the CITIC consortium has also established a youth
training center to offer courses including English and Chinese language and on electric power.
Aye Thandar Linn, who is studying Chinese at the center, is an associate professor at the
Government Technical Institute in Kyaukpyu, which focuses on training young talents for the
Kyaukpyu SEZ.
"It will be much easier for me to communicate with Chinese enterprises in the future if I can speak
Chinese, when the special economic zone is completed," she said.
"I also hope mastering Chinese will enable me to get more opportunities for my students, for them to
work in Chinese companies," Aye said. "My expectation is that our graduates land good jobs because
of the deep-sea port."
Kyaw Kyaw Soe, an entrepreneur who has helped build China-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines, shows
strong interest in the Kyaukpyu port project.
He believes such a huge amount of investment is bound to inject vitality into local development and
push up the region's gross domestic product. "We wish to join the project because we want to share
the development dividends," he said.

8/11/2020 China's CITIC to build Myanmar's huge Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport, first phase to cost US$1.3 bln | The Star
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/02/17/china039s-citic-to-build-myanmar039s-huge-kyaukphyu-deep-seaport-first-phase-to-cost-us13-bln 1/4
China's CITIC to build Myanmar's huge Kyaukphyu Deep
Seaport, first phase to cost US$1.3 bln
Monday, 17 Feb 2020
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8/11/2020 China's CITIC to build Myanmar's huge Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport, first phase to cost US$1.3 bln | The Star
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/02/17/china039s-citic-to-build-myanmar039s-huge-kyaukphyu-deep-seaport-first-phase-to-cost-us13-bln 2/4
A jetty in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State.

YANGON, Feb 17 (Eleven Media Group/ANN) -- The planned multi-billion dollar Kyaukphyu Deep Seaport project will be developed with
the contribution of 70 per cent by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation Consortium (CITIC) and 30 per cent by
Myanmar, said Deputy Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo on Feb 16.
According to the noti cation issued by Myanmar Economic Zones Central Committee dated 29 February, 2015, the project has a total area
of 4289.32 acres—607.88 acres for the deep seaport project, 2446.07 acres for the industrial zone project and 1235.37 acres for the
advanced housing project.
A framework agreement was signed by Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee and the CITIC Consortium from China
in Nay Pyi Taw on 8 November, 2018. The agreements pertaining to Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Project and Deep Sea Port Project
were signed. On 18 January, 2020, both sides exchanged the MoUs.
Both projects will be developed by the CITIC Consortium and Myanmar-Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Holdings Groups of Company
composed of 42 local private companies from Myanmar
Deputy Commerce Minister U Aung Htoo disclosed this information in reply to the question raised by MP U Khin Cho from Hlaingbwe
Constituency at the 15th regular session of Lower House Parliament.
Union Minister for Commerce Dr. Than Myint, who is also the chair of Myanmar Special Economic Zones Central Working Body, said: “The
rst phase of the project is expected to cost around 1.3 billion US dollars. Plan is under way to continue implementing the project if two
projects can cover operation costs. We have reached an agreement with China over the plan.”
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8/11/2020 Construction on China's BRI Deep Sea Port to Start Soon in Myanmar's Rakhine State: Govt
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/chinese-made-arms-due-myanmar-seized-thai-border.html 1/8
Burma
Construction on China's BRI Deep Sea Port
to Start Soon in Myanmar's Rakhine State:
Govt

By NAN LWIN 24 June 2020
YANGON—The construction of the China-backed Kyaukphyu deep-sea port will begin
soon, as preparations on both the Myanmar and China sides are on track, according to
the Ministry of Commerce.
The project is a crucial part of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in western
Myanmar. The SEZ is expected to boost development in China’s landlocked Yunnan
Province and provide China with direct access to the Indian Ocean, allowing its oil
imports to bypass the Strait of Malacca.
 A crude oil tanker docks at Maday Island in Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu Township in 2019. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

The Kyaukphyu SEZ is a backbone project under the China-Myanmar Economic
Corridor (CMEC), which is itself a part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The project also includes plans to construct an industrial zone with facilities for textile
and garment manufacturing, construction materials processing, food processing,
pharmaceuticals, electronics, marine supplies and services and research. The entire
project is planned to cover 4,300 acres.
Speaking at a press conference in Naypyitaw on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of
Commerce U Aung Htoo said “We are working to form a company to construct the
deep-sea port. We recently reached consensus for the company’s constitution.”
“We already proposed the list of directors, so I am conﬁdent that we will move forward
on the construction of the deep-sea port project soon,” U Aung Htoo said.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Myanmar early this year, both sides signed
concession and shareholders’ agreements for the deep-sea port. According to the
agreements, the two sides will incorporate a joint venture to carry out the construction
and operation of the project.
In November 2018, the Kyaukphyu SEZ Management Committee and the China
International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) inked a framework agreement
for the long-delayed development of Kyaukphyu SEZ.
CITIC struck a shareholder agreement with the previous Myanmar government, under
President Thein Sein, just before the 2015 election. It gave the Chinese developer an
85 percent stake in the project and gave the rest to Myanmar. Critics of the project
raised concerns that the deal could land Myanmar in a debt trap with China. After
negotiations under the current National League for Democracy (NDL) government,
China agreed that Myanmar would hold 30 percent of the shares.

The initial agreement called for a project worth US$9-10 billion, but the two sides have
since agreed that the project will start out on a “small or medium-sized” scale.
U Aung Htoo said that the ﬁrst phase of the deep-sea port will be implemented with a
US$1.5 billion budget.
In July 2019, CITIC announced it hired Canadian company HATCH to supervise an
environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) of the project and a pre-geo survey.
Last September, CITIC submitted a project proposal report (PPR) to the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MONREC).
In January, CITIC said that MONREC has determined the deep-sea port project requires
an EIA under Myanmar law. The Chinese company says it will choose an independent
consultant to conduct the EIA through a bidding process.
The Ministry of Commerce said in February that both sides agreed that the CITIC
Consortium will own 51 percent of the industrial zone and the Myanmar government will
own 49 percent. The ministry said that the industrial zone will be developed on 2,400
acres of land and that a high-end housing project is planned for an additional 1,235
acres.
According to U Aung Htoo, the construction of the industrial zone will be led by China’s
CITIC Consortium and a total of 42 private Myanmar companies under Myanmar Kyauk
Phyu Special Economic Zone Holding Public Company Limited.
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Nan Lwin
The Irrawaddy
Nan Lwin is Senior Reporter at the English edition of The Irrawaddy. The
Irrawaddy's senior reporter Nan Lw…
Burma
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8/11/2020 Minister Rejects Fears of Debt Trap Over Chinese-Backed Port
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/minister-rejects-fears-debt-trap-chinese-backed-port.html 1/55
News
Minister Rejects Fears of Debt Trap Over
Chinese-Backed Port

By MYO PA PA SAN 9 July 2018
YANGON — Commerce Minister U Thant Myint said Myanmar would not be
overwhelmed by the ﬁnancing of a deep-water port being built in Rakhine State’s
Kyaukphyu Township, hoping to assuage public fears of a Chinese debt trap.
“We won’t be burdened with debt like many think because we will implement the
project step by step with available investment from local businessmen and in
cooperation with China. We invite feedback [on the project] from experts,” the minister
said in Yangon on Friday at a regular meeting between Vice President U Myint Swe and
private businessmen.
 The entrance to Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State. / The Irrawaddy

“I think there is such speculation because some have concerns about the lack of
information about the project. And some, I think, deliberately speculate to attack us,” he
added.
Some local media have raised concerns about the port following an Asia Times article
by Bertil Lintner last week which argued that Myanmar risked falling into a debt trap
with China over the project.
“Anyway, we pay heed to their analysis. Both we and the Chinese government think the
project may create mutual benefits, and we will gain benefits, not disadvantages as
others think,” U Thant Myint said.
Plans to build the $10-billion deep-water port and special economic zone were first
announced in 2007 while the country was under military rule.
The current government, led by the National League for Democracy, is not reviewing
the project but has been holding negotiations with China’s CITIC Group, which won the
tender, said U Thant Myint.
“Negotiations are going well and it is likely that we’ll reach an agreement soon. We are
considering the need for huge investment and competent management,” the minister
said.
The two sides have agreed to implement the project in phases, he added.
U Thant Myint said the port will spur economic development and create jobs in Rakhine
while also helping to develop China’s landlocked Yunnan Province,

CITIC Group will own a controlling 70 percent stake in the project and Myanmar the
rest as part of the 75-year deal they struck.
Sean Turnell, an economic adviser to the Myanmar government, reportedly said
recently that the $7.5-billion price tag on the project’s port component was “crazy” and
“absurd.”
The government of former President U Thein Sein let a memorandum of understanding
on the Chinese-backed Myitsone hydropower dam expire in 2014, nearly three years
after he suspended the $3.9-billion project over concerns of a potential debt trap.
But Myanmar has to repay the Chinese state-owned developer the $800 million it had
already spent on the project. Some say Beijing could leverage the debt in negotiations
with Naypyitaw to get its way with the Kyaukphyu port.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Topics: Business
Myo Pa Pa San
The Irrawaddy
Myo Pa Pa San is Reporter at the Burmese edition of The Irrawaddy.
Specials
TIMELINE: China-Myanmar Relations

By THE IRRAWADDY 13 January 2020
In 1949, Mao Zedong established the Peoples’ Republic of China, which was formally
recognized by the freshly independent Myanmar government. Since then the two
neighboring countries have maintained relations, and this year marks the 70th
anniversary of diplomatic ties. China became a close ally of Myanmar, especially when
the Southeast Asian country was under the military regime in the late 1990s. Since
2018, with planned special economic zones, cross border railway links between the two
countries and other mega development projects, Myanmar has oﬃcially been involved
 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 24, 2019. / Reuters

in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), shaping future relations
between the neighboring nations. On the eve of Xi’s visit to Myanmar, here is a
chronology of the two countries’ relations over the past 71 years.
2020
Jan 9: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announces that Xi will
visit Myanmar on Jan. 17-18 at the invitation of Myanmar President U Win Myint.
2019
Feb 18: The ﬁrst meeting of the Myanmar Steering Committee for Implementation of the
BRI is held in Naypyitaw. Committee chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi says thorough
scrutiny of the projects under Beijing’s BRI is needed to assess their likely short- and
long-term impacts on the country and the public.
Feb 21-22: Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Soe Win attends the second joint
committee meeting of CMEC and the 2nd China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)
Forum in Kunming. The 2nd CMEC forum discusses ways to promote collaboration in
the agriculture, livestock breeding, forestry, mining and tourism sectors, and
implementation of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), railroad, New Yangon
and other projects under the CMEC. Additionally, the two sides discuss investment
opportunities in Myanmar and the involvement of Chinese banks in the CMEC.
March 14: U Kyaw Tin, Union minister for international cooperation, meets Hong Liang,
Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, to discuss the promotion of bilateral relations, the
2nd BRI Summit and China’s involvement in the Rakhine issue amid international
pressure on Myanmar.

March 19: Union Minister for Economic and Foreign Relations U Thaung Tun meets
Deng Boqing, deputy administrator of the China International Development
Cooperation Agency, to discuss aid for the Bagan Pagodas. They sign two MOUs
(memorandums of understanding) related to the renovation of the pagodas.
April 1-4: U Aung Win Oo, Myanmar Police chief, meets Ren Jun Hao, Yunnan Police
chief, in Kunming to discuss cooperation on border aﬀairs and rule of law, human
traﬃcking and drugs. He also visits Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen during the trip.
April 9: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s armed
forces, meets Chinese President Xi. During the trip, the senior general promises he will
help implement the BRI in order to make it a success in Myanmar.
April 25-27: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Chinese President
Xi Jinping in Beijing while attending the 2nd Belt and Road Forum. The Myanmar
government signs two MOUs and an agreement letter with China at the forum, detailing
strengthened cooperation between the countries on the CMEC, trade and technology.

Myanmar military chief Snr-
Gen Min Aung Hlaing and
Chinese President Xi
Jinping hold talks at the
Great Hall of the People in
Beijing on April 10, 2019. /
Global New Light of
Myanmar

May 17: The opening ceremony of the China-Myanmar Economic Cooperation and
Development Promotion Association and 1st CMEC Summit is held in Yangon.
May 17: The China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (CECCM) opens its
oﬃce in Naypyitaw.
May 20: The opening ceremony of the Myanmar-China Business Association (MCBA) is
held in Naypyitaw. The association aims to promote BRI relations between the two
countries.
May 29: U Phyo Min Thein, chief minister of Yangon Region, and Hong Liang, Chinese
ambassador to Myanmar, visit the Daw Khin Kyi Hospital (First China-Myanmar
Friendship Hospital), paid for by China, in Yangon.
June 18: President U Win Myint accepts the credentials of new Chinese Ambassador
Chen Hai in Naypyitaw.

Myanmar State Counselor
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
witness an MOU signing
ceremony in Beijing on April
25, 2019. / Ministry of
Foreign Aﬀairs Myanmar /
Facebook

June 20: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets Ambassador Chen in Naypyitaw to
discuss matters related to the implementation of the CMEC and the promotion of
military cooperation.
June 21: A fourth Myanmar-China Friendship day is jointly organized by the Chinese
Embassy and organizations of people of Chinese descent in Yangon.
July 3: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Ambassador Chen to
discuss the BRI, promotion of bilateral relations and the status of the peace process.
July 8: A total of 13 Myanmar academics, oﬃcials from the Information Ministry and ﬁve
Chinese think tanks from Yunnan University hold a forum, “China-Myanmar Sustainable
Development and Cooperation under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor”, in
Yangon.
July 12: The Yangon chief minister meets Ambassador Chen to promote relations and
cooperation.

President U Win Myint and
newly accredited Chinese
Ambassador Chen Hai pose
for a photo in the
Credentials Hall at the
Presidential Palace. / The
Irrawaddy

July 26: Chen visits the Kyaukphyu SEZ, deep-sea port, industrial zone, China-Myanmar
pipeline and other Chinese projects in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State.
Aug. 8: U Win Khaing, Union minister for electricity, meets Ambassador Chen to discuss
cooperation on electricity and power for BRI projects.
Aug. 9: U Ohn Maung, Union minister for hotels and tourism, meets Ambassador Chen
to promote Chinese tourism to Myanmar and cooperation on the BRI in the tourism
sector.
Aug. 12: The China-Myanmar Friendship Film Festival is launched in Naypyitaw.
Aug. 14: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Sun Guoxiang,
Chinese special envoy for Rohingya repatriation and the peace process, in Naypyitaw.
Aug. 15: Yangon’s chief minister meets the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar to discuss
the development of Yangon.
Aug. 19: China criticizes recent attacks by an alliance of ethnic armed groups on police
and military outposts in northern Myanmar’s Shan State, saying the actions derail the
country’s peace process and create instability in the region.
At a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang
says China “strongly condemned” the attacks carried out by three members of the
Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups—the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA),
the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets Ambassador Chen to discuss the oﬀensive.

Aug. 23: U Han Thar Myint, Dr. Myo Nyunt and U Than OO, members of the Central
Executive Committee of the National League for Democracy, meet the Chinese
ambassador in Yangon to promote party-to-party relations.
The Yangon Region chief minister, the Chinese ambassador and representatives of the
Chinese business community in Yangon meet to discuss investment conditions in
Yangon.
Aug. 23: U Than Htay, chair of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, meets
Ambassador Chen in Yangon to promote party-to-party relations.
Sept. 2: At a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng
Shuang says China fully supports the recent meeting between Myanmar government
representatives and Northern Alliance members. He said China hopes both sides will
continue to engage in peace talks and take real action to ensure a ceaseﬁre in
northern Myanmar.
Sept. 16: Myanmar and China announce a plan to conduct the third joint inspection of
their shared boundary next year, after 24 years of not being able to implement the
activity.
Sept. 26: Myanmar Vice President U Myint Swe attends a reception to mark the 70th
anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. At the reception, he
praises bilateral relations with China and expresses optimism that they will continue to
thrive and grow under President Xi’s ambitious grand infrastructure plan, the BRI.

Nov. 4: A Myanmar state-owned enterprise inks a power purchase agreement with a
Myanmar-China joint venture company that is developing a 135-megawatt (MW) power
plant project in Kyaukphyu, in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Vice President U Myint Swe
and his wife, and Chinese
Ambassador Chen Hai cut a
cake at a reception to mark
the 70th anniversary of the
founding of the People’s
Republic of China. / Global
New Light of Myanmar

Representatives of Electric
Power Generation and
Kyauk Phyu Electric Power
Co. Ltd sign a power
purchase agreement in
Naypyitaw. / Ministry of
Information

Dec. 7: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Naypyitaw and meets with State
Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung
Hlaing. Wang pushes the Myanmar government to speed up construction of projects
within the CMEC, which is a part of the giant BRI.
2018
Jan. 18: The State Counselor meets Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Deputy Chief of
Staff Major General Kong Xuan You. Their conversation focuses on the promotion of
bilateral relations and cooperation, peace, stability and rule of law along the countries’
border.
The Third Myanmar-China (2+2) High Level Consultations led by the ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Defense is held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Naypyitaw. The
Myanmar delegation is led by Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin
and Lt-Gen. Tun Tun Naung, of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army). The
Chinese delegation is led by Kong Xuanyou, vice minister of foreign affairs, and Maj-

Myanmar State Counselor
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
Chinese State Councilor
Wang Yi in Naypyitaw on
Dec. 7, 2019. / Myanmar
State Counselor’s Office

Gen. Shao Yuanming, deputy chief of staff, Joint Staff Department of the Central Military
Commission.
Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing receives a
delegation led by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou in Naypyitaw.
Feb 14: The State Counselor meets Sun Guoxiang, special envoy for Asian affairs of
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They discuss the future plans for Myanmar’s national
reconciliation and peace efforts, and China’s plan for continued support to Myanmar.
March 10: The State Counselor receives delegations led by Li Fanrong, vice
administrator of China’s National Energy Administration, to enhance cooperation in the
areas of electricity and energy between Myanmar, China and Bangladesh.
April 25: The State Counselor receives Song Tao, minister of the International
Department of the Communist Party of China. However, state media do not disclose
details of the meeting. The State Counselor hosts a dinner for the visiting minister at
her residence.
April 26: President U Win Myint meets Song Tao in Naypyitaw. They discuss matters
related to national reconciliation, internal peace, bilateral friendship and cooperation,
bilateral visits by the country’s leaders, the BRI, and peace and stability in Rakhine
State.
April 26: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing receives Song Tao to discuss bilateral
relations and the military’s efforts to advance the peace process in Myanmar.
Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, vice president (2), and other CEC members from the NLD meet
Song Tao for closed-door discussions.

May 10: President U Win Myint receives Chinese Public Security Minister Zhao Kezhi to
discuss border security, ways to tackle drug abuse, anti-human trafficking efforts,
China’s assistance in providing the necessary police equipment to implement the rule
of law and security, establishing a police control headquarters and implementation of
the CMEC and Kyaukphyu SEZ.
State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Zhao Kezhi to promote bilateral relations
and provide assistance for peace efforts, enforcement of the rule of law and security
issues in Myanmar.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets Zhao Kezhi in Naypyitaw to discuss matters
related to peace in border areas, cooperation on bilateral security and defense ties,
and China’s stand on finding a solution for the Rakhine crisis.
May 20: Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein meets Vice Chairman of the Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference Wang Zhengwei to discuss the development
of investment and economic conditions, new Yangon projects and industrial zone
projects.
May 22: President U Win Myint meets Wang Zhengwei in Naypyitaw. According to a
statement, they openly exchange views on bilateral cooperation on the BRI, the
promotion of bilateral cooperation in economic sectors and the Rakhine crisis.
May 23: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives Wang Zhengwei to
discuss Chinese cooperation on the peace process and the Rakhine situation.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives Chinese Special Envoy Sun Guoxiang to discuss
progress on the peace process and the Rakhine situation.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets Special Envoy Sun to discuss China’s strong
condemnation of the attacks by the Northern Alliance against security posts in Muse in
northern Shan State.
June 6: Union Commerce Minister U Than Myint meets Shang Fulin, chairman of the
13th Subcommittee for Economic Affairs and a member of the 13th Standing Committee
of the Communist Party of China to discuss the promotion of bilateral trade, investment,
economic cooperation and infrastructure projects—particularly implementation of the
Kyaukphyu SEZ and cooperation zones along the two countries’ border.
June 16: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives Chinese State Councilor and
Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe to discuss cooperation on security affairs, the
peace process and the Rakhine issue.
Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Gen. Wei Fenghe to discuss peace in border areas,
strategic cooperation between the two armed forces and China’s stand on the Rakhine
issue.
June 19-21: Union Minister U Thant Sin Maung attends the World Transport Convention
2018 and Belt and Road International Transport Symposia (BRITS) in Beijing. He delivers
a speech titled “Belt and Road Initiative and Myanmar”.
June 27: Myanmar’s Upper House Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than visits Beijing to
promote parliamentary relations. During the trip he visits the creation of a small town in
Zhongguancun, a Huawei showroom and the Great Wall of China in Beijing.
June 28: At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Union
Minister for the Office of the State Counselor U Kyaw Tint Swe visits Beijing for a
working visit. The two sides discuss issues of mutual interest including bilateral
relations and cooperation in the international arena.

July 8: Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe attends the sixth ministerial
meeting on law enforcement and security cooperation in Beijing. During the meeting,
matters relating to combating terrorism, and the production and transport of drugs and
precursors are discussed. Human trafficking, gambling and cyber-crime, controlling
entry and exit along the border, and information exchanges between the two countries
are also reviewed.
July 11: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives Chinese Politburo member
Huang Kunming to discuss the promotion of bilateral relations, especially close
cooperation in the cultural and information sectors between the two countries.
July 14: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Chinese Special Sun Guoxiang
to discuss matters relating to peace and the reconciliation process in Myanmar,
including the third session of the 21st-Century Panglong Union Peace Conference and
Chinese assistance for Rakhine State.
Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing meets Special Envoy Sun Guoxiang to discuss restoring
peace in Myanmar, border stability and the situation in Rakhine State.
Aug. 21: A Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win
Khaing visits Beijing to hold discussions with CNPC International Co. Ltd. chairman and
Petro China Co. vice chairman Wang Zhongcai and officials from Sino Pipeline
International Co. Ltd., Petro China Gas Marketing Co. Ltd. and Chinnery Assets Limited.
They discussed matters related to China-Myanmar bilateral cooperation in the oil and
gas sector, and potential future areas of cooperation.
Sept. 9: An agreement on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor is signed in Beijing by
Myanmar Minister of Planning and Finance U Soe Win and He Lifeng, chairman of the
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The NDRC, China’s top

economic planning agency, aims to construct basic infrastructure across key economic
centers in Myanmar.

Sept. 11: Myanmar’s BRI steering committee is formed with State Counselor Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi as chairperson to establish the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. The
committee comprises 25 members including 18 Union ministers (from ministries ranging
from Home Affairs to Hotels and Tourism); five chief ministers (from Kachin, Mandalay,
Rakhine, Yangon and Shan); the foreign affairs permanent secretary; and the chairman
of the Naypyitaw Council.

Union Minister of Planning
and Finance U Soe Win and
He Lifeng, chairman of
China’s National
Development and Reform
Commission, sign a
memorandum of
understanding on
establishing the China-
Myanmar Economic Corridor
in Beijing. / China National
Development and Reform
Commission website

Sept. 19: A delegation led by Mandalay Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung and 18 NLD
Central Committee members, including the chief minister of Magway Region, visits
Beijing. The delegation meets high-level Chinese oﬃcials including Song Tao and
Huang Kunming. The Communist Party of China arranges for the delegates to visit the
Three Gorges hydroelectric dam, the world’s largest power station with an installed
capacity of 22,500 MW, which spans the Yangtze River.
Oct. 18: Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing attends the Belt and
Road Energy Ministerial Conference in Suzhou, China.
Oct. 22: Two state-owned companies—China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China
Railway Group Ltd) (CREEG) and Myanmar Railways—sign an MOU to conduct a
feasibility study as a part of the CMEC.
Nov. 7: The State Counselor receives Song Tao at her residence in Naypyitaw to
discuss the peace process, Rakhine and the CMEC. The meeting is also attended by
Mandalay Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung and Peace Commission Chairman Dr. Tin
Myo Win.
Union Minister for the Oﬃce of the State Counselor U Kyaw Tint Swe meets Song Tao
to discuss the peace process, and border security and stability in Shan State.
Nov. 8: Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing meets Song Tao to discuss the promotion of friendly
ties between the two countries, progress on Myanmar’s democratic transition, the
Myanmar military’s involvement in the peace process, China’s involvement in the
Rakhine issue and ways to strengthen ties between the two countries’ armed forces.
The Kyaukphyu SEZ Management Committee and the China International Trust and
Investment Corporation (CITIC) ink a framework agreement for the development of the
Kyaukphyu SEZ.

Nov. 9: China donates US$300,000 (about 440 million kyats) to the Union Peace
Commission during a meeting between Dr. Tin Myo Win, chairman of the Union Peace
Commission, and Special Envoy Sun Guoxiang.
Nov. 10: Myanmar State Counselor meets Sun Guoxiang to discuss developments in the
peace and reconciliation process in Rakhine State.
Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio receives CITIC group chairman Chang
Zhenming to promote bilateral cooperation and the implementation of the Kyaukphyu
SEZ.
Nov. 27: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Ning Jizhe, vice
chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. His visit aims to
push the Myanmar government to work on practical cooperation to implement CMEC
projects.

Dec. 4: Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets Chen Hao, secretary of
the Yunnan provincial party committee of the Communist Party of China, to discuss the
promotion of trade, investment, peace and stability in border areas, and to reduce
poverty alleviation and rural development in Myanmar.
Dec. 5: Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing meets Chen Hao to discuss promotion of relations
with Yunnan Province and strengthen bilateral trade, border security and stability, and
enhance exchange visits between the two militaries.
Dec. 20: The fourth round of Myanmar-China (2+2) high-level consultations are held in
Kunming, Yunnan Province. The two sides exchange views in a friendly and cordial
atmosphere on border-related issues focusing on China’s support for the peace

State Counselor Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi greets a
Chinese delegation in
Naypyitaw. / State
Counselor’s Oﬃce /
Facebook

process of Myanmar, promoting rule of law, peace and stability along Myanmar-China
border, stabilization of the situation in northern Myanmar, confidence-building measures
and development of border areas to promote the interests of the populations in those
areas.
Dec. 28: Chinese Ambassador Hong meets with Kachin religious leaders and politicians
in Myitkyina. During the trip, the ambassador strongly pushes them not to oppose the
revival of the controversial Myitsone Dam project.
2017
Jan 28: The Yangon government organizes Chinese New Year Celebrations, said to be
the grandest Chinese New Year celebrations in more than five decades. Yangon Region
chief minister U Phyo Min Thein and National League for Democracy (NLD) Patron U Tin
Oo both attend.
April 6-11: Myanmar ‘s President U Htin Kyaw makes his first goodwill visit to China and
holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders. The
Kyaukphyu-Kunming oil pipeline agreement is signed.

April 21: Myanmar’s State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi meets with Chang
Zhenming, the chairman of the China International Trust and Investment Company
(CITIC) Group in Naypyitaw to discuss the group’s involvement in the deep-water
Seaport project in Kyaukphyu SEZ and transportation and infrastructure development in
Myanmar. The meeting is joined by Myanmar cabinet members from the Ministry of
Commerce, Foreign Aﬀairs, Electricity and Energy along with Hong Liang, the Chinese
Ambassador to Myanmar, and a CITC delegation.

The Chinese President Xi
Jinping and his Myanmar
counterpart U Htin Kyaw
review the honor guard in
Beijing on Apr 10. (Photo:
Myanmar President Oﬃce /
Facebook)

April 25: China offers to help tackle a diplomatic row between Bangladesh and
Myanmar over the flight of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.
April 26: Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang meets Chairman of the Legal Affairs and
Special Cases Assessment Commission U Shwe Mann in Beijing. The two vow to push
forward China-Myanmar ties. During the trip the chairman also has a meeting with the
Chinese Deputy Foreign Minsiter Liu Zhenmin.
May 14-17: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends the Belt and Road Forum for
International Cooperation at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing, where

Group photo with CITIC
Group. (Photo: Myanmar
State Counselor’s Office /
Facebook)

she holds separate talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping and Premier Li Keqiang.
At the meetings, the leaders stress the importance of advancing “Comprehensive
Cooperative Strategic Partnership Relations” based on the Five Principles of Peaceful
Co-existence and existing “Pauk-Phaw” friendship, maintaining peace and stability and
development of the border areas, continued support of China for the success of
Myanmar’s reconciliation and peace process, promoting diverse cooperation between
the two countries, particularly for the beneﬁt of the two peoples through high-level
communications and exchange of visits. Five Memoranda of Understanding are signed
including an MoU on Cooperation within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt
and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative.
May 18: Two ships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy carrying over 550 military
personnel pay a goodwill visit to Myanmar.
May 26: People’s Liberation Army presents locomotives and coaches to Myanmar
Tatmadaw.
Jun. 1: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi receives General Fang Fenghui, member
of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staﬀ Department
under the CMC, in Naypyitaw to discuss promotion of bilateral cooperation.
Aug. 4: State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi holds talks with Director of the
International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
(CPC) Song Tao on cooperation between two countries.
Aug. 5: The groundbreaking ceremony of a China-funded renovation project of the
Bahan Women’s Hospital, formerly named after Daw Khin Kyi, Myanmar State
Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s late mother, takes place in Yangon. The hospital whose

renovation is scheduled to be completed by next September will become the first
China-Myanmar Friendship Hospital.
Aug. 30: After a close-door meeting in New York, Britain requests a U.N. Security
Council (UNSC) meeting on situation in Myanmar, but China resists stronger
involvement by the U.N. in addressing the crisis.
Sep. 4: Sun Guoxiang, a special envoy of Asian affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of China, calls on Vice-President 1 U Myint Swe in Naypyitaw, with the former saying
that the Chinese government condemns insurgent attacks in northern Rakhine State.
Sep. 5: Myanmar Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Special Envoy Sun in
Naypyitaw. The Chinese envoy says the Chinese government completely has full
confidence the Myanmar government and Tatmadaw will be able to solve Rakhine
issue.
Sep. 8: The Chinese embassy formally opens its interim liaison office in the capital of
Naypyitaw to further facilitate transactions between China and union-level agencies in
Myanmar. The liaison office is the first foreign office permitted to open in Myanmar’s
administrative capital.
Sep. 18: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells U.N. Secretary-General António
Guterres that China supports efforts by the Myanmar government to protect its national
security and opposes recent violent attacks in Rakhine State.
Sep. 22: Chinese media travel to Rakhine to cover the situation there in the wake of
militant attacks in Maungdaw.

Sep. 22: Gou Yezhou, deputy director of the International Department of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in an interview with Reuters, speaks
out against international intervention in Myanmar’s Rakhine issue.
Nov. 19: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds separate talks with Myanmar President
U Htin Kyaw, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, focusing mainly on
the peace process with the armed ethnic groups and the Rakhine issue.
Nov. 22-24: Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing pays a goodwill visit to China at the invitation of a
member of the CMC and Chief of the Joint Staﬀ Department of the PLA Gen. Li
Zuocheng. During the visit, he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and expresses
thanks to China for its support of Myanmar over the Rakhine State issue. The Chinese
president calls the army chief’s visit “successful.”

2016
April 5: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pays a goodwill visit to Myanmar at the
invitation of Myanmar’s de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He is the ﬁrst foreign
minister to visit Myanmar since the government of the National League for Democracy
(NLD) assumed oﬃce in March. The two discuss the strengthening of China-Myanmar
ties and promoting the interests of citizens of the two countries.

Myanmar Military Chief Snr-
Gen Min Aung Hliang and
Chinese President Xi
Jinping meet in Beijing on
Nov 24.(Photo: Snr-Gen. Min
Aung Hlaing / Facebook)

July, 26: China’s Special Envoy on Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang addresses the summit of
ethnic armed organizations in Kachin State’s Mai Ja Yang.
August 12: President U Htin Kyaw forms a 20-member commission to assess proposed
hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy River. The commission is tasked with assessing
the potential environmental and social effects of any proposed project along the
Irrawaddy River, as well as the possible impact on foreign investment and the wider
economy.

Chinese Foreign Minister
Wang Yi and Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi during his visit in
April 2016. (Photo: Myanmar
State Counselor’s Office /
Facebook)

August 17-21: At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Myanmar’s State
Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visits China. In the trip, Myanmar and Chinese
governments sign economic and technical cooperation agreement and Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) on a feasibility study for proposed Kunlong Bridge project
which would be built with China’s assistance.
November 25: The ﬁrst high-level meeting of foreign and defense ministries of
Myanmar and China is held. Discussions focus on border stability and China’s role in
Myanmar’s peace process.
2015
April 22: President U Thein Sein meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of
the Asian-African Summit also known as the Bandung Conference in Indonesia’s
Jakarta.
April 26: Myanmar’s Speaker of the Lower House meets vice chairman of the Chinese
People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of the International Liaison
Department of the Communist Party of China at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.
June 10-14: At the invitation of the Communist Party of China, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
visits China for the ﬁrst time in her capacity as the chairwoman of the NLD and meets
Chinese President Xi Jinping.

July 30: Over 150 Chinese citizens who were handed life sentences by a Myanmar
court for illegal logging in Myanmar are released with presidential amnesty after they
spent eight days behind the bars.
Oct 3: President U Thein Sein attends the 70th Anniversary of Victory of the World Anti-
Fascist War at Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Dec 4: Special Envoy of the Chinese Government and Vice Foreign Minister Liu
Zhenmin pays a call on President U Thein Sein in Naypyitaw.

China’s President Xi Jinping
and Myanmar’s pro-
democracy leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi pose for
pictures during their
meeting at the Great Hall of
the People in Beijing, China,
June 11, 2015. REUTERS

2014
Feb 19: Vice-President U Nyan Tun receives Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Yang
Houlan in Naypyitaw.
April 7: A parliamentary delegation led by Lower House Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann
visits China and meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
May 19: Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives General Chang Wanquan, Minister of
Defense and State Councilor of China in Naypyitaw. The Chinese general pays a call on
President U Thein Sein the following day.
June 23: Chairman of the Union Election Commission U Tin Aye receives Chinese
Ambassador to Myanmar Yang Houlan at the commission in Naypyitaw.
June 28-29: President U Thein Sein attends activities marking the 60th anniversary of
the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence also known as Bandung Principles with
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Indian Vice-President Mohammad
Hamid Ansari.
Nov 14: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pays a state visit to Myanmar.
Dec 16: President U Thein Sein receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by Chinese
Vice-President Li Yuanchao in Naypyitaw.
Dec 22: Police Force and locals clash after China’s Wanbao Co fenced in the farmlands
of farmers who have refused to take compensation for their conﬁscated farmlands in
Letpadaung Copper Mine. Daw Khin Win, a 56-year-old local, is killed by a stray bullet
in the clash.

2013
Jan 1: Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham receives personnel of China Three Gorges
Corporation (CTGC) and International Group of Entrepreneurs Company (IGOEC), which
are implementing Mong Ton Hydropower Project.
Jan 15: A Chinese delegation led by deputy commerce minister Chen Jian meets NLD
chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the Parliament building in Naypyitaw and
discusses investment between the two countries.
Jan 19: President U Thein Sein receives a Chinese special delegation led by deputy
foreign minister Fu Ying at the Yangon Region government oﬃce.

The funeral for Daw Khin
Win was held on Dec. 25,
2014. / The Irrawaddy

April 5-7: President U Thein Sein meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in China. He gives
an interview to journalist Li Xiaokun of the China Daily on April 6 and addresses the
opening of Boao for the 2013 Asia Annual Conference.
April 10: Myanmar Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Chinese Ambassador
to Myanmar Yang Houlan.
June 23: State Councillor Yang Jiechi visits Myanmar.
July 23: President U Thein Sein receives Vice Chairman of Central Military Commission
General Fan Changlong in Naypyitaw.

China’s President Xi Jinping
(R) and Myanmar’s President
Thein Sein attend an oﬃcial
welcoming ceremony as
President Thein Sein arrives
for the Boao Forum, in
Sanya, Hainan province,
April 5, 2013. (Photo:
Reuters)

September 2: President U Thein Sein attends 10th China-Asean Expo in Nanning and
meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
October 16: Myanmar Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing visits China and meets
President Xi Jinping who is also the chairman of Central Military Commission of
Communist Party of China.
2012
March 26: President U Thein Sein receives Governor of Yunnan Province Li Ji Heng in
Naypyitaw.
July 10: President U Thein Sein receives State Councillor and Minister of Public Security
of China Meng Jianzhu in Naypyitaw.
September 11: Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham receives Chinese Ambassador to
Myanmar Li Junhua.
September 22: President U Thein Sein attends the 9th China-Asean Expo in Nanning,
capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
2011
March 13: A Chinese delegation led by Lt-Gen Jia Tingan, deputy director of General
Political Department of People’s Liberation of Army of China, calls on Myanmar Army
Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and senior military oﬃcers in Naypyitaw.
April 4: President U Thein Sein receives Member of the Chinese Communist Party
Central Committee Politburo and Chairman of the 11th National Committee of Chinese

People’s Political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin in Naypyitaw.
April 27: VicenPresident Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo attends the signing of a MoU
between the Ministry of Transport and China Railways Engineering Corporation on the
Muse-Kyaukphyu railroad project.
May 12: Myanmar Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing receives Vice Chairman of the
Central Military Commission General Xu Caihou in Naypyitaw and signs an agreement
on cooperation between the two armed forces. President U Thein Sein also receives
the Chinese general the next day.
May 27: President U Thein Sein makes his ﬁrst state visit to China since assuming
presidency in March where he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wan Jiabao
and other leaders. The two countries promote their relationship on a strategic level,
and nine economic agreements and memoranda of understanding are signed.
Oct 16: Vice President Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo receives chairman of the China
Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) in Naypyitaw and discuses cooperation in the
railroad sector.
Oct 19: Vice President Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo holds talks with the chairman of
the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Yang Kaisheng on bilateral cooperation in
the ﬁnancial and banking sectors.
Nov 6: President U Thein Sein and his wife pay obeisance to the Tooth Relic of Buddha
which is conveyed from China to Myanmar for a few days for public worship.
2010

Feb 25: The Ministry of Electric Power and two Chinese companies Hanergy Holding
Group Limited and Goldwater Resources Limited (GRL) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on the implementation of Upper Thanlwin also known as the Kunlong
Hydropower Project.
April 24: The Ministry of Electric Power and China’s Sino Hydro Corporation Limited,
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and International Group of
Entrepreneurs (IGE) sign an agreement on the implementation of the Hatgyi
Hydropower Project.
May 27: The Ministry of Electric Power, local company Tun Thwin Mining Co Ltd and
China’s Guodian Corporation sign memoranda of understanding on the Mawlaik
Hydropower Project the and Kalewa Coal-fired Power Plant Project.
June 2-3: A Chinese delegation led by Chinese Premier Wan Jiabao visits Myanmar and
meets Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Naypyitaw.
June 16: Myanmar Petroleum and Chemical Enterprise of the Ministry of Energy and
China’s North Petro-Chem Corporation Limited sign a profit-sharing contract on the
production of oil and gas from Block F of onshore territory.
Nov 9: Spokesperson of the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei congratulates
Myanmar on the successful holding of a multi-party democratic election, reports Xinhua
News Agency.
2009
Jan 23: Myanmar Army Deputy Chief Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives military
attaches of China in Naypyitaw.

March 18: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by Chief of
the General Staﬀ of the People’s Liberation Army of China General Chen Bingde.
March 26: Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Central Political
Bureau of the Communist Party of China, pays a call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe in
Naypyitaw.
March 28: Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) General
Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo receives the chairman of the China National Petroleum
Corporation Jiang Jiemin.
June 16: Vice Senior General Maung Aye and wife Daw Mya Mya San, at the invitation
of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, visit China. The Vice Senior General also meets
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Nov 4: Media report about China National Petroleum Corporation (CNP)’s establishment
of an oil and gas pipeline linking Myanmar ’s deep-water port of Kyaukphyu (Sittwe) in
the Bay of Bengal with Kunming in Yunnan Province.
Dec 20: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice-
President Xi Jinping in Naypyitaw. Xi Jinping also meets Vice Senior General Maung
Aye and signs agreements on cooperation in trade, transportation infrastructure,
ﬁnancial sector, hydropower generation, energy, and oil and gas pipeline.
2008
May 10: Military Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in YangonSenior Colonel Fan Lianfeng
observes people voting in a national referendum to ratify the 2008 Constitution.

May 30: Chinese medical teams provide medical services for Cyclone Nargis victims
from May 19 to May 30 in Yangon and Irrawaddy regions.
August 8: Prime Minister General Thein Sein attends the opening ceremony of the
Beijing Olympic Games and meets Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wan
Jiabao.
Oct 28: Member of the State Peace and Development Council General Thura Shwe
Mann receives a Chinese goodwill delegation led by General Zhang Li of People’s
Liberation Army.
2007
Jan 13: China and Russia veto a draft resolution regarding Myanmar , submitted by the
United States to the United Nations Security Council.
Jan 23: Senior General Than Shwe receives Li Tieying, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese
National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, in Naypyitaw.
June 6: Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Lt-Gen Thein
Sein visits Beijing at the invitation of the Standing Committee of the National People’s
Congress of China.
June 29: SPDC member General Thura Shwe Mann receives deputy commander of the
Yunnan Military Region Maj-Gen Lin Tinggui of China at the Ministry of Defense in
Naypyitaw.
Nov 18: Prime Minister General Thein Sein attends the 13th Asean Summit and related
meetings in Singapore. At the summit, Chinese Premier Wan Jiabao says imposing

sanctions and putting pressures on Myanmar would contribute nothing to its national
reconciliation process.
2006
August 8: Myanmar Prime Minister General Soe Win receives Chairman of the Chinese
Development Bank Chen Yuan in Naypyitaw.
Sept 19: The Chinese government presents locomotives and coaches to Myanma
Railways (MR) in a ceremony at the Central Railway Station in Rangoon.
Oct 22: Chief of the General Staﬀ of the China People’s Liberation Army Liang Guanglie
pays a call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe at the Ministry of Defense in Naypyitaw.
2005
June 7: Senior General Than Shwe sends a message of congratulations on the 55th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Myanmar and China.
Oct 17-20: Myanmar Prime Minister General Soe Win attends the second China-Asean
Expo in China’s Nanning and the China-Asean Economic and Investment Summit.
Nov 16: Senior General Than Swe receives member of the Chinese Communist Party
Central Committee Politburo and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the
National People’s Congress Wang Zhaoguo.
2004

Feb 23: Snr-Gen Than Shwe receives vice-chairman of the People’s Political
Consultative Conference Luo Haocai in Rangoon.
April 23: Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Commander-in-Chief (Army)
Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives outgoing military attaché Senior Colonel Xu
Shulai and incoming Senior Colonel Ma Shoudoing in Rangoon.
Dec 2: – Deputy Chief of the General Staﬀ of the People’s Liberation Army of the
People’s Republic of China General Ge Zhenfeng and party pay a goodwill visit to
Myanmar .
Dec 16: Vice Senior General Maung Aye receives a Chinese military delegation led by
Lt-Gen Sun Zhiqing of the People’s Liberation Army of China.
2003
Jan 6-11: At the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Snr-Gen Than Shwe and
wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing visit China.
November 14: Secretary of Yunnan Province Communist Province of China Bai Enpei
pays a courtesy call on Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Rangoon.
December 1: Deputy Chief of General Staﬀ General Wu Quanxu pays a courtesy call on
Snr-Gen Than Shwe in Rangoon.
2002
Jan 20: At the invitation of Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC), a Chinese goodwill delegation led by the secretary-

general of the State Council of China Wang Zhongyu visits Myanmar . Snr-Gen Than
Swe receives the delegation.
May 7: The committee to implement Myanmar -China bilateral agreements meets in
Rangoon, addressed by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.
Sept 30: Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt attends a ceremony to mark China National Day at the
Chinese Embassy in Rangoon.
2001
January 17: Chinese Minister of Public Security Jia Chunwang meets with Sec-1 Lt Gen
Khin Nyunt.
April 25: General Fu Quangyou, Chief of General Staﬀ Headquarters for China People’s
Liberation Army meets with Prime Minister Than Shwe and Army Chief Gen Maung Aye.
May 7: Maj-Gen Nyunt Tin, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation, observes the Chinese
agriculture industry and factories that produce machinery for water distribution.
December 12-16 Jiang Zemin visits Myanmar and signs economic and border
agreements.
2000
May 2-5: Engineers from China’s armed forces meet with Myanmar military oﬃcers at a
naval base in Taninthayi Region according to a Radio Free Asia report. The meetings
focus on the construction of two bases in the area with assistance from the Chinese
Navy and Air Forces.

May 31: Chinese State Councillor Ismail Amat meets with Prime Minister Than Shwe and
Sec-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt.
June 5: Gen Maung Aye meets with Chinese president Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu
Rongji on separate occasions in Hong Kong and China, and holds talks with Vice-
President Hu Jintao. The sides sign a joint statement on the framework of future
bilateral relations and cooperation.
July 16: Vice President Hu Jintao and Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Guangya, meet
with PM Than Shwe, Gen Maung Aye, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, and Lt Gen Tin Oo in
Myanmar .
August 6: Chinese Deputy of Foreign Affairs meets with Sec-1 Lt Gen Khin Nyunt,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Win Aung and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khin Maung
Win.
September: A new special trade zone intended to open an outlet to Southeast Asia is
established on the border between Myanmar and Yunnan, China. Meanwhile, the Bank
of China approves a US$120 million loan to the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise to
build a massive hydroelectric generator.
October 25: Sec-3 Lt Gen Win Myint pays a goodwill visit to the Chinese Association for
International Understanding.
November 24: Fang Zuqi Political Commissar of Nanjing Military Command of the
People’s Liberation Army meets with Army Chief Gen Maung Aye.
1999

June: Myanmar -China bilateral trade, including border trade, reaches US$78.21 million
in the ﬁrst two months of the year, a sharp increase of 123.7% over the $34.95 million
ﬁgure registered in the same period the prior year, according to Myanmar ’s Central
Statistical Organization.
June: Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt visits China.
December: Foreign Minister Win Aung visits China.
1998
Myanmar and China sign a US$250 million loan deal under which Beijing agrees to
provide funds for a 280 megawatt hydroelectric power plant near Pyinmana.
The Myanmar government allows the publication of two local Chinese language
newspapers “Mian Dien Huo Bao (The Myanmar Morning Post) and Shijie Ribao
(Universal Daily) that target readers both in Myanmar and other countries in the region.
May: Junta blasts George Fernandes, Indian Defense Minister, for accusing Yangonof
allowing China to set up military installations within its territory.
1997
March: Chairman Li Ruihuan visits Myanmar .
October: Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo visits Myanmar .
December 14-16: Senior Gen Than Shwe meets with Jiang Zemin in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia at the second Asean informal summit.

1996
January 7: Senior Gen Than Shwe makes his first visit to China since taking over as
Chairman of ruling SLORC in 1992.
October: Army Chief Gen Maung Aye visits China.
1995
Defense Minister Chi Haotian visits Myanmar .
1994
August: General Li Jiulong, commander of China’s Chengdu military region visits
Myanmar . Chengdu is the command headquarters and major supply base for Chinese
troops in Tibet.
August: Myanmar buys two modified Jianghu-class Chinese frigates.
August: Chinese consulate in Mandalay opens.
September: Khin Nyunt visits China.
September 2: Myanmar Air Force chief Lt-Gen Thein Win, goes to Kunming, China to
oversee the delivery of another squadron of military aircraft from China.
September 29: Myanmar signs an agreement with a leading Chinese shipping firm in
Yangonto purchase new ships for Myanmar Five Star Shipping Line.

November: Sec-2 Tin Oo visits China.
December 26-28: Chinese Premier Li Peng visits Myanmar at the invitation of Than
Shwe, the head of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).
1993
February: State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen visit Myanmar .
September 1: Myanmar opens a consulate in Kunming, China.
1991
January: State Councillor and Sec-Gen of the State Council, Luo Gan visits Myanmar .
Early May: Eleven Chinese-made F7 jet fighters are delivered to Myanmar as part of a
US$1 billion arms deal between Beijing and Yangonwhich also includes naval patrol
boats, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, light arms, anti- aircraft guns and missiles,
ammunition and other military equipment.
August 21-26: Gen.Saw Maung visits China. He meets Prime Minister Li Peng and
President Yang Shangkun, who promise more political and military aid to Rangoon.
November: Deputy Chief of General Staff He Qizong visits Myanmar .
1990
August 10: The first major shipment of arms and ammunition from China arrives in
Rangoon.

1989
February 20: The CPB’s politburo holds a crisis meeting at Panghsang. It is revealed
that Chinese have approached the CPB and offered the leaders retirement in China.
The CPB leadership reacts angrily to the suggestion, saying: “We have no desire to
become revisionists.”
October 18-29: A 24-member senior Myanmar military delegation, led by Lt-Gen Than
Shwe, visits China.
1988
December: Border trade is officially opened between the two countries.
1980
July 10: The government announces that the Chinese aid program signed in Beijing on
July 12, 1979 will consist of eight projects: the building of the Rangoon-Syriam Bridge,
40,000 spindle yarn-making machines, three rice mills with 150 ton per day capacity,
the supply of water to Moulmein city, and three million renminbi-yuan for machinery and
tools.
1979
July 12: Yangonannounces a new US$63 million aid agreement with China for
unspecified projects.
November 28: China’s foreign minister, Huang Hua, arrives in Myanmar .

1975
November 11-15: Ne Win visits China for four days, and reaches an agreement that there
will be no “aggressive acts” between the two nations.
1973
December 15-18: Shan State Army (SSA) leaders Hso Hten and Hso Noom appeal for
help from the CPB during a meeting at Panghsang. The ﬁrst links between the SSA and
the CPB are established. The Shan and Karen rebel delegations to Panghsang are
invited to visit China. They travel to Simao and Kunming.
1971
A new trade agreement is signed giving each country most-favored nation status.
1968
January 1: Several hundred heavily armed CPB troops, led by Kachin wartime hero Naw
Seng, cross the border from China and capture Mong Ko in northeastern Shan state.
All-out Chinese support for the CPB insurgence begins.
January 5: CPB troops led by Pheung Kya-Shin and Pheung Kya Fu cross the border
from China into Kokang area in northeastern Shan State.
April 6: China protests against “unwarranted arrests” of ethnic Chinese in Myanmar .
1967

January 27: One hundred and thirty-two Naga rebels from northeastern India reach the
Yunnan frontier, having been trekking through northern Myanmar since Oct. 24, 1966.
Led by Thuingaleng Muivah and Thinoselie M.Keyho, they are received by the Chinese,
who provide them with political and military training.
June 19: The Ministry of Education bans the wearing of all “unauthorized badges” by
students. The order is aimed at the wearing of Mao badges primarily by students of
ethnic Chinese origin in Rangoon.
June 26: Two thousand Myanmar gather outside two Chinese schools in Rangoon.
June 28: One thousand three hundred and twenty eight Chinese in Yangonare
detained. The Chinese embassy protests officially against the incident.
June 29: The Chinese embassy in Yangonis attacked by demonstrators. Beijing
announces that its ambassador will not return to Rangoon. Official Myanmar sources
say over fifty Chinese were killed during the period June 22-29; the Chinese say that
several hundred were killed.
July 7: China’s aid program to Myanmar is suspended.
July 16: A correspondent for the New China News Agency is expelled from Myanmar .
August 11: The Chinese foreign minister delivers protest to the Myanmar embassy in
Beijing, accusing Myanmar aircraft of intruding into Yunnan.
August 21: All Myanmar students studying in China are recalled. Critical Myanmar
sources claim that the anti-Chinese riots were stirred up the government to deflect
attention from acute rice shortages.

August-September: The Kachin rebels send their first delegation to China, led by Brang
Seng. They visit Beijing and Shanghai.
October 6: All Chinese technicians are ordered to leave Myanmar .
1965
July 24-August 1: Ne Win visits China. A joint communique is issued, reaffirming the
1961 treaty and five principles of peaceful coexistence.

Gen Ne Win and Chinese Foreign Minister Zhou En Lai are welcomed by an honor
guard in this undated photo. (Photo: Unknown)1963
September 3: The third group of CPB members, led by Thakin Ba Thein Tin, returns
from China to Yangonto participate in peace talks.
November: Thakin Ba Thein Tin returns to Beijing from Rangoon. CPB members Khin
Maung Gyi, San Thu and Thein Aung return from Moscow to Beijing where they rejoin
Thakin Ba Thein Tin and the others. Thakin Ba Thein Tin, Khin Maung Gyi, Thakin Than
Myaing, Than Shwe and Tin Yee set up a “leading group of five” in Beijing to prepare
for a China-sponsored push into Myanmar . San Thu begin to survey the Sino-Myanmar
border areas for possible infiltration routes into northeastern Myanmar . Naw Seng’s
Kachins, who have been staying in Guizhou, go to Sichuan for talks with Thakin Ba
Thein Tin and other CPB leaders.
1962
February 24: China issues a protest against US intervention in Vietnam, saying it poses
a “direct threat” to North Vietnam and jeopardizes “the security of China and the peace
in Asia”
August 1: Communist Party of Myanmar [CPB] exiles in China are allowed to issue their
first public statement, condemning the new military regime.
1961
January 2-9: Zhou Enlai visits Myanmar . The border agreement is ratified. An economic
and technical cooperation agreement is signed on Jan. 9, according to which the

Chinese pledge to give Myanmar an interest-free loan of US$30 million to be
disbursed during the period Oct. 1, 1961 to Sept. 30.
January 26: A combined force of three divisions (20,000 troops) of regulars from the
Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and 5,000 Myanmar troops attack KMT bases
north of Kengtung, Shan State. The campaign is codenamed the “Mekong River
Operation”.
April: A joint US-Taiwan communique says, “the 6,000 KMT soldiers remaining in
Myanmar ’s Shan State are not in any way connected or concerned with the US
government or The Republic of China.
October 10-15: U Nu visits China.

1960
September 4-early October: U Nu visits China and attends China’s National Day
celebrations with a delegation of more than 400 persons.
October: A boundary treaty between China and Myanmar is signed in Beijing.
1954
The ﬁrst trade agreement between the two countries is signed.
June 28-29: Chinese foreign minister Zhou Enlai visits Rangoon.
U Nu and Mao Zedong in
Beijing in 1954. (Photo:
Unknown)

1953
April: The Democratic Nationalities United Front (DNUF) is formed in the hills near
Papun by Karen, Karenni, Pa-O and Mon rebels. Another Chinese army unit enters the
Wa hills and clashes with the Myanmar Army.
July 30: Defense Minister Ba Swe says that Myanmar is going to the UN to have
Nationalist China declared an aggressor and unseated from the world body.
September: Lt-Gen Ne Win leads a high power military delegation to China. They visit
munitions factories and army training establishments.
November: U Nu (in his capacity as AFPFL President) visits China and meets with Zhou
Enlai. China agrees to withdraw all its forces from disputed border areas in Kachin
State. Anti-Fascist People Freedom League [AFPFL].
November: Thirty Chinese soldiers enter the Wa Hills and clash with the same number
of troops from the Myanmar army.
December 1-16:U Nu visits China. More talks are held about the border question and
the question of nationality of Chinese residents in Myanmar .
1950
January-March: Over 2,000 Kuomintang (KMT) forces from Yunnan cross the border to
set up base in Kengtung, eastern Shan state following the Communist victory in China.
1949
October 1: Mao Zedong proclaims the Peoples’ Republic of China in Beijing.

December 17: Myanmar recognizes the Peoples’ Republic of China.

Topics: Foreign Relations
The Irrawaddy
...

8/11/2020 Is Kyaukphyu in Danger of Slipping Out of Our Hands?
https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/editorial/kyaukphyu-danger-slipping-hands.html 1/5
Editorial
Is Kyaukphyu in Danger of Slipping Out of
Our Hands?
By THE IRRAWADDY 8 June 2018

A ﬁsherman passes by the Chinese-owned CNPC oil-pumping jetty on Madae Island, a site where huge oil tankers dock in Kyaukphyu Township in southern
Rakhine State in 2017. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has stated that she wants to reform
the country’s education sector. If that is her intention, we must make a serious effort to
educate the younger generation about history and geography so that they develop a
fuller understanding of Myanmar’s neighboring countries.
In particular, a country we should be making a serious effort to study is China.
Myanmar still doesn’t have a think tank dedicated to studying China, its intentions, its
geopolitical interest in the region or its hugely ambitious regional development
strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, and its implications.
Myanmar’s border with China is more than 2,000 km long, but few Myanmar citizens
have much idea about China’s rising political and economic power, beyond vague
feelings of fear and resentment. Nor does the Myanmar public have access to the
information and data needed to fully understand China’s declared mega-projects in
Myanmar, let alone Beijing’s shadowy influence over several powerful ethnic insurgent
groups in northern Myanmar.
China’s leaders have promised to assist the “peace process.” But what is the cost of
this assistance to Myanmar?
Given China’s past assistance to repressive regimes and exploitation of Myanmar’s
natural resources, many in this country are worried about China’s plans, and this has
the potential to fuel anti-China sentiment.
In 2011, when then-president Thein Sein ordered the suspension of the Myitsone Dam,
a controversial hydroelectric project financed by a state-owned Chinese company,
many applauded the move. The decision angered China but it was popular with the
Myanmar public.

China has approached Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s government about reviving the dam
project but nothing appears to have come of that. Greenlighting a restart for the project
would be political suicide.
At any rate, Beijing has switched its attention to another area in Myanmar in which it
has a strong economic and strategic interest.
Since last year China has signaled that its attention is now focused on building a deep-
sea port in Kyaukphyu, in western Rakhine State.
The port will give China access to the Indian Ocean via Myanmar in one of the Belt and
Road Initiative’s many planned trading corridors.
As The Irrawaddy has repeatedly emphasized, Kyaukphyu is important to China when it
comes to long-term strategic inﬂuence, both commercial and military, because Beijing
needs to secure oil imports from the Middle East and trade routes to and from Africa
and Europe.
China has already built oil and gas pipelines in Kyaukphyu and proposed a railway link,
though that project is currently suspended.
In any case the Kyaukphyu project is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in
Myanmar. The most important question is: Who will own the project in the future? Under
the current terms, China holds 70 per cent and Myanmar’s government and local
companies hold 30 per cent.
Concerns have been raised that the US$9 billion price tag for the port development is
artiﬁcially high and that the port will fall under China’s exclusive control if Myanmar
were to default on its debt. The good news for now is that the project is under review.

One doesn’t have to look too far for a precedent; Asia analysts point to Sri Lanka’s
Hambantota port. Colombo was unable to service its China-held debts relating to the
project and Beijing now exercises de facto sovereign control over the strategic facility.
Critics of the project see Kyaukphyu as part of a disturbing pattern — already visible
from the Horn of Africa to South Asia to our own region — in which Chinese investment
is linked to exorbitantly high-interest loan agreements. When a host country falls
behind in its payments, a deal is struck whereby Beijing assumes greater control of the
strategically important project.
Some analysts would go further and say the projects that China is taking on around the
world are rigged decisively in their favor in a concerted policy of “debt diplomacy.”
Many here at home fear the Kyaukphyu project is in danger of leading Myanmar into a
similar “debt trap.”
Looking at this and other examples around the region, Myanmar’s leaders must think
twice before agreeing to China’s plans. Such critical decisions require both vision and
imagination.
Realistically, the Kyaukphyu project cannot be canceled, but Naypyitaw will have to
think carefully about how the port is managed, its long-term development plans for the
region, and the flow of trade. Who will benefit from the project?
To begin with, we must take a close look at the financing. What are the interest rates
and terms of repayment to China? What will be the consequences if Myanmar can’t pay
back the loans? Rakhine is one of the poorest and least developed states of Myanmar.
The real benefits of developing a port there must accrue to the Rakhine population and
the country, not just to investors.

So, what to do with the Kyaukphyu project from here?
The simplest answer — if we don’t want to fall victim to China’s debt diplomacy —
would be to halt the project once and for all. A second option, perhaps, might be for
Myanmar to put the project under the control of a publicly listed state enterprise — or
set one up for this purpose — which would be bound by stock exchange rules and
subject to greater transparency, and then invite more investors to participate.
Topics: China, Development, Foreign Investment, Kyaukphyu
The Irrawaddy
...

8/11/2020 China inks Kyaukphyu development deal with Myanmar - Splash 247
https://splash247.com/china-inks-kyaukphyu-development-deal-with-myanmar/#:~:text=China has signed an agreement,visit to Myanmar last weekend. 1/3
China inks Kyaukphyu development deal with
Myanmar
Jason Jiang • January 20, 2020  24  Less than a minute
China has signed an agreement with Myanmar to invest and develop Kyaukphyu port in Rakhine
State into a major container port as part of a package of agreements signed between the countries
spanning infrastructure, power and trade during Chinese president Xi’s visit to Myanmar last
weekend.
Asia Ports and Logistics

8/11/2020 China inks Kyaukphyu development deal with Myanmar - Splash 247
https://splash247.com/china-inks-kyaukphyu-development-deal-with-myanmar/#:~:text=China has signed an agreement,visit to Myanmar last weekend. 2/3
 Tags Myanmar
Beijing aims to build the deep-sea port into a major container ports in Asia to serve as a gateway
for Myanmar and ASEAN countries to India, Africa and the Middle East.
Myanmar invited bidders to develop the Kyaukpyu port area in 2014 and a consortium of six
companies led by China’s CITIC Group won the tender in 2015 and struck a deal with Myanmar last
week after a lengthy negotiation on the development plan of the project.
According to CITIC, the first stage project involves the construction of two berths with a total
investment of $1.3bn The construction of the port will soon commence after completing economic
and social impact assessments.
Beijing believes the signing of cooperative agreements marks a significant step in translating the
China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) from a concept into a substantive planning and a
important milestone for its Belt and Road Initiative.

/
You can read daily news of Global New Light of Myanmar using mobile applications. Download now! (https://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/download/) 
Agreement to develop Kyaukphyu deep sea port signed
Deputy Minister U Set Aung (right) and Mr. Chang Zhenming (left) sign the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Deep Sea Port
Project Framework Agreement. Photo: MNA
The framework agreement on Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Deep Sea Port Prject was signed by the Kyaukphyu
SEZ Management Committee and CITIC Consortium at the Ministry of Commerce in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
At the ceremony, Myanmar Special Economic Zone Central Body Chairman, Union Minister for Commerce Dr. Than
Myint and Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to Myanmar, Mr. Hong Liang, delivered the opening speeches.
CITIC Group Chairman Mr. Chang Zhenming, and Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee
Chairman and Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Set Aung delivered messages of thanks.
Afterwards, Deputy Minister U Set Aung and Mr. Chang Zhenming signed and exchanged the Kyaukphyu Special

/
Copyright © 2014 by Global New Light Of Myanmar
Economic Zone Deep Sea Port Project Framework Agreement, in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Than Myint and the
Chinese Ambassador Mr. Hong Liang.
Thereafter, Union Ministers from Myanmar’s Special Economic Zone Central Body, Rakhine State Chief Minister, Deputy
Ministers from the Central Working Body, the Dawei Special Economic Zone Management Committee Chairman, the
Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee Chairman, the Joint Chairman and other members, the
CITIC Group Chairman, the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, representatives from the CITIC Group, businesspersons,
representatives from Myanmar Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Holding Public Company Limited, and other
officials posed for a group photo.
Later, Special Economic Zone Management Committee Chairman Deputy Minister U Set Aung, CITIC Consortium
representative and CITIC Group (Myanmar) Co., Ltd Managing Director Mr. Yuan Shaobin and Myanmar Trade
Promotion Board Director General U Aung Soe, spoke to the media about the framework agreement.
Preliminary feasibility studies and site surveys for the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone Project were conducted in
2012 and 2013. A consultant company was selected through an international tender in
2013. Investors and developers were invited and selected through an international tender in 2014.
On 30 December 2015, a consortium led by CITIC won the tender to develop the deep sea port and industrial estate
projects. The framework agreement aims to implement the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port project, according to international
norms.
The Special Economic Zone is being set up for the economic development of Rakhine State, to create job opportunities for
local residents, and to support the development of transportation and production.
—MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)
Comments

8/11/2020 Kyaukphyu - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaukphyu 1/8
Kyaukpyu
ေကျာက်ြဖမိ
Town
Kyaukphyu
Kyaukpyu (Burmese: ေကျာက်ြဖမိ [tɕaʊʔpʰjù mjo̰ ]; also spelt Kyaukphyu) is a major town in
Rakhine State, in western Myanmar. It is located on the north western corner of Yanbye Island
on Combermere Bay, and is 250 miles (400 km) north-west of Yangon. It is the principal town of
Kyaukpyu Township and Kyaukpyu District. The town is situated on a superb natural harbor
which connects the rice trade between Calcutta and Yangon. The estimated population in 1983
was 19,456 inhabitants.[3] The population of Kyaukpyu Urban area is 20,866 as of 2014, while
Kyaukpyu Township's population is 165,352. [1]
Etymology
History
Climate
Demographics
Quarters or Wards
Attractions
Education
Other
Economy
Port
Oil pipeline
Natural gas pipeline and terminal
Kunming-Kyaukpyu Railway
Kyaukpyu
Coordinates: 19°25′35″N 93°32′45″E
Contents

Location in Burma
Coordinates: 19°25′35″N
93°32′45″E
Country Myanmar
Division Rakhine
State
District Kyaukpyu
District
Township Kyaukpyu
Township
Population (2014)
• Total 20,866[1]
• Ethnicities Arakanese, Chin,
Kamein
• Religions Buddhism,
Christian, Islam
Time zone UTC+6.30 (MST)
Area
code(s)
+95-43-46-xxx
[2]
Special Economic Zone and its impact
See also
References
External links
The name Kyaukpyu (lit. "white rock") is the Burmese pronunciation. In the local Rangbre
pronunciation of the natives of Kyaukpyu and in standard Arakanese, the town's name is
pronounced "Kyaukpru". The old Kyaukpyu is situated 7 miles from the present town where two
colossal white rocks exist.
The place where the present town is, was originally a small fishing village in the 17th Century.
After the first Anglo-Burmese War, the British established Kyaukpyu in 1837 on the spot of the
fishing village. In 1852, Kyaukphyu became a district city.[4]
On October 22, 2010, Cyclone Giri made landfall on the west coast of Myanmar just north of the
town at category five strength.
Kyaukpyu has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year, although
the winter months (December–February) are somewhat milder. There is a winter dry season (December–April) and a summer wet season
(May–November). Torrential rain falls from June to August, with over 1,200 millimetres (47 in) falling in July alone.
Etymology
History
Climate

Climate data for Kyaukpyu (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F)
26.7
(80.1)
28.1
(82.6)
30.3
(86.5)
32.6
(90.7)
32.5
(90.5)
30.1
(86.2)
29.3
(84.7)
29.4
(84.9)
30.5
(86.9)
31.3
(88.3)
30.0
(86.0)
27.8
(82.0)
29.9
(85.8)
Average low °C (°F)
17.1
(62.8)
18.6
(65.5)
21.5
(70.7)
24.8
(76.6)
25.8
(78.4)
25.0
(77.0)
24.8
(76.6)
24.6
(76.3)
24.9
(76.8)
25.0
(77.0)
23.4
(74.1)
19.4
(66.9)
22.9
(73.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)
1.1
(0.04)
6.4
(0.25)
20.8
(0.82)
24.5
(0.96)
347.0
(13.66)
1,073.1
(42.25)
1,248.4
(49.15)
1,054.5
(41.52)
540.2
(21.27)
261.6
(10.30)
109.3
(4.30)
16.9
(0.67)
4,703.8
(185.19)
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[5]
The town is populated with Arakanese Buddhists. There are also small Indian group, Kameins and Chins at Kyaukphru.
Eastern Quarter
Western Quarter
Central Quarter
Mrit Nar Dan Quarter
Zayditaung Quarter
Asoera Quarter
Ararshi Quarter
Thanbanchaung Quarter
Paikseik (West) Quarter
Paikseik (East) Quarter
Taung Rong Quarter
Toe Chayy Quarter
Demographics
Quarters or Wards

NgaLaPwee Quarter
Kanyin Taw Quarter
KaLaBa Taung Quarter
Zetiya Quarter
Kyaukpyu Viewpoint, or more popularly known as Point is perhaps the most well known attraction in Kyaukpyu. It is at the end of the
Strand Road and looks out into the Bay of Bengal and the mouth of the Thanzit (Kyaukpyu) River.
Gant-gaw-taw, is one of the most sacred Buddhist shrine, believed to have built in the Vesali period.
Kyauk-ta-lone phaya, built by King Min-ba in the Mrauk U period, is the focal point of Kyaukpyu's Buddhist environment, beside Gant-gaw-
taw shrine.
• The Japan-Myanmar Relationship Pagoda, in the outskirts of the city, is popular among the city's small Japanese population.
Teacher training college (TTC) was opened in Kyaukpyu in 1953. Now, this college is known as "Kyaukpyu Education College". In 1954,
Kyaukpyu Intermediate College for Arakan, the embryo of Sittwe University was opened in Kyaukpyu. Kyaukpyu GTI was opened in 2014.
Maurice Collis, a famous British writer, lived in Kyaukpyu in 1920s. His house, situated outskirts of Kyaukpyu is maintained as a historic
building.
Water ways is the main mode of transportation and traveling. There were boat accidents because of poor maintenance and lack of
enforcement on regulation. Over 100 were assumed to be dead in Aung Takon 3 ferry accident of March 2015.[6]
Attractions
Education
Other
Economy
Port

In June 2007, Asia World announced that it would be building a deep sea port on Maday Island in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State.[7] The port
will be a transit point for goods destined for Yangon, Kolkata, and Chittagong.[8]
In December 2008, China and Burma signed a deal to construct an oil pipeline at Kyaukphyu.[9] On 30 November 2010, the China
Development Bank and Myanmar Foreign Investment Bank signed a $2.4 billion loan deal to construct the 660 miles (1,060 km) pipeline
from Kyaukphyu to Kunming in Yunnan province, China.[10] The pipeline is expected to be completed in 2015 and capable of transporting
400,000 barrels of oil per day.[9] These construction projects will allow China to directly obtain oil and gas from the Middle East (via the
port terminal at Kyaukphyu), thereby avoiding shipping through the Malacca Straits.[11]
Separately, as reported by the Financial Times in February 2013,[12] nearly 2,000 workers are finalising close to Kyaukphyu, a major
natural gas projects, the Shwe gas pipeline and onshore terminal. This terminal and pipeline are being built by South Korea's Daewoo
International in a consortium with state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and others. From May 2013, this pipeline is
planned to pump about 12bn cubic metres of natural gas annually, most of which will also go to China via nearby Maday island.
These oil and gas Sino-Burma pipelines projects are supervised by a Myanmar "Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone" agency and are
estimated to use about U$3bn of investments and to have the potential of creating over 200,000 jobs, while additional capital will be
required to develop a port for dry containerized and bulk cargoes, as well as a railway which will link Kyaukphyu to Kunming, in Yunnan.
The railway project would be 1,215 km long, and its design and construction are subject to a preliminary agreement between Myanmar's
and China's government.
In 2009, a railway link through to Jiegao in China was proposed. In 2011 the proposal was expanded to a link between Kunming and
Kyaukphyu. President Thein Sein's signed a memorandum of understanding during his May 2011 visit to Beijing between Myanmar's rail
transport ministry and China's state-owned Railway Engineering Corporation to build the railway.[13] It will also connect to Kaladan Multi-
Modal Transit Transport Project via 311 km link to be completed by 2021-22, from Kyaukhtu in north to Ann in south and then south-east
to Minbu.
Oil pipeline
Natural gas pipeline and terminal
Kunming-Kyaukpyu Railway
Special Economic Zone and its impact

Myanmar government officials have stated that these massive projects will be conducted with enhanced consultation with the local
population. In this respect, there has already been protests by some locals against the consequences of some of these projects, such as
potential impact on fishing or land confiscations which may be conducted by authorities for these terminals and pipelines. A December
2012 report by the "Arakan Oil Watch" organization about plans to build a special economic zone near Kyaukphyu on Ramree Island in
Arakan State, claimed it would "endanger the health of thousands of people and destroy Myanmar's second largest mangrove forest". The
report, titled “Danger Zone,” states that around 40 villages would be adversely affected by the project, which would use 120 km2 of pristine
coastline.
End December 2015, the Myanmar government announced that it had chosen a consortium of mostly Chinese companies to develop a
special economic zone and a deep-water port, as a result of a tender initiated in 2014 for an industrial park and a deep-water port to be
built and operated as public-private partnerships.
The selected Chinese-led consortium won over a dozen other bidders to win the development rights late last year. The six companies in the
consortium include China state-owned groups Citic (finance), China Harbour Engineering, China Merchants Holdings (International),
TEDA Investment Holding, Yunnan Construction Engineering Group (YNJG), and the Charoen Pokphand Group, a Thai conglomerate.
CITIC and the six other investing firms will hold an 85 percent stake, with the Burmese government taking the rest.
While China Harbour Engineering is a well known engineering firm for designing and building deep sea ports, the China Merchants
Group, through some of its affiliates (China Merchants Holdings (International), China Merchants Group, both listed on the Hong Kong
stock exchange, and China Merchants Energy Shipping) is a global operator of ports as well as of oil tanker and dry bulk ships which has
been approved to absorb in 2016 another Chinese state-controlled tanker and bulk ships operator, Sinotrans Shipping.
By 2025, the consortium plans to build a roughly 1,000-hectare industrial park and Myanmar's highest-capacity port, with facilities able to
handle 7 million 20-foot-equivalent-units (TEU) of containerized cargo per year. Total project costs are estimated to be in the range of
several billion dollars. The projects are said to lead to the creation of some 100,000 jobs.
Some analysts claim that the Kyaukpyu deep-water port has a strategic dimension as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and String of
Pearls strategy.[14][15][16]
The Kyaukpyu port and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is one of three major port and coastal development projects in Myanmar, together
with the Thilawa zone near Yangon, the country's most populous and economically developed city, and the Dawei zone in the south-east,
near the Thai border, all of which have attracted major financial and industrial interests.
Point, Kyaukpyu
Kyaukpyu Airport
See also

Shwe gas field
Sino-Burma pipelines
1. Census Report (http://www.dop.gov.mm/sites/dop.gov.mm/files/publication_docs/kyaukpyu.pdf) (PDF). 2014 Myanmar Population and
Housing Census. Kyaukpyu: Department of Population Ministry of Immigration and Population. April 2018. Archived (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20200324230318/http://www.dop.gov.mm/sites/dop.gov.mm/files/publication_docs/kyaukpyu.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 2020-
03-24. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
2. "National Telephone Area Codes" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090719142124/http://www.myanmar-yellowpages.com/information/page
_14.asp). Myanmar Yellow Pages. Archived from the original (http://www.myanmar-yellowpages.com/information/page_14.asp) on 2009-
07-19.
3. "Kyaukpyu" (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325920/Kyaukpyu). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100611141842/htt
p://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325920/Kyaukpyu) from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
4. Kyaukpyu township Gazeteers.
5. "Myanmar Climate Report" (https://web.archive.org/web/20181008145507/http://met-xpprod.customer.enonic.io/publikasjoner/met-report/
met-report-2017/_/attachment/download/a3bf1468-4e93-486a-aa3f-4bea3871cffa:b8f39ba9ecfbde7d7c6da8ca769f4a1a96d61d39/MyanmarC
limateReportFINAL24Oct2017.pdf) (PDF). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. pp. 23–36. Archived from the original (http://met-xpprod.cust
omer.enonic.io/publikasjoner/met-report/met-report-2017/_/attachment/download/a3bf1468-4e93-486a-aa3f-4bea3871cffa:b8f39ba9ecfbde
7d7c6da8ca769f4a1a96d61d39/MyanmarClimateReportFINAL24Oct2017.pdf) (PDF) on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
6. Mratt Kyaw Thu (2015-03-23). "Ferry death toll increases as parliament demands inquiry" (http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-n
ews/13660-ferry-death-toll-increases-as-parliament-demands-inquiry.html). mmtimes.com/. Myanmartimes. Archived (https://web.archive.o
rg/web/20150726164747/http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/13660-ferry-death-toll-increases-as-parliament-demands-inqu
iry.html) from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
7. "B'desh eyes deep-sea port near Myanmar" (https://archive.is/20130128211854/http://www.mmtimes.com/no377/b008.htm). Myanmar
Times. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original (http://www.mmtimes.com/no377/b008.htm) on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
8. Ye Lwin (16 July 2007). "Exports to get lift from new shipping companies" (https://archive.is/20120909163646/http://www.mmtimes.com/n
o375/b002.htm). Myanmar Times. Archived from the original (http://www.mmtimes.com/no375/b002.htm) on 9 September 2012. Retrieved
5 March 2012.
9. Kean, Thomas (30 November 2009). "Kyaukphyu-Yunnan oil pipeline to be completed by end of 2015" (https://web.archive.org/web/201002
13221858/http://www.mmtimes.com/no499/n013.htm). Myanmar Times. Archived from the original (http://www.mmtimes.com/no499/n01
3.htm) on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
10. Shwe Gaung, Juliet (13 December 2010). "Massive loan from China to fund gas investment" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110818175223/
http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/business/553/biz55301.html). Myanmar Times. Archived from the original (http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/
business/553/biz55301.html) on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
References

Taipei American Chamber of Commerce; Topics Magazine, Analysis, November 2012. Myanmar: Southeast Asia's Last Frontier for
Investment (http://www.amcham.com.tw/content/view/3715/538/), BY DAVID DUBYNE
Oilseedcrops.org; Editor Article, Transit routes from western China through Myanmar. Myanmar: the Missing Link from Western China to
India's N.E. States (http://www.oilseedcrops.org/myanmar-the-missing-link-from-western-china-to-indias-n-e-states/)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kyaukphyu&oldid=968984143"
This page was last edited on 22 July 2020, at 18:06 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
11. "Kyaukphyu port has strategic value" (https://archive.is/20120909072413/http://www.mmtimes.com/no502/n_brief.htm). Myanmar Times.
21 December 2009. Archived from the original (http://www.mmtimes.com/no502/n_brief.htm) on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 5 March
2012.
12. "Myanmar plans its own 'mini Singapore' - FT.com" (https://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/76d2e3fc-6bb8-11e2-a700-00144feab49a.html#axzz2K
FqLeUzW). ft.com. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
13. Myanmar in China's Push into the Indian Ocean (http://www.idsa.in/backgrounder/myanmar-in-chinas-push-into-the-indian-ocean_jmpaul
_120316) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20170120071624/http://idsa.in/backgrounder/myanmar-in-chinas-push-into-the-indian-oce
an_jmpaul_120316) 2017-01-20 at the Wayback Machine, Joshy M Paul, March 14, 2016, retrieved 20 January 2017
14. David Brewster. "Beyond the String of Pearls: Is there really a Security Dilemma in the Indian Ocean?. Retrieved 30 August 2014" (https://w
ww.academia.edu/7698002).
15. Bertil, Lintner (2019). The Costliest Pearl: China's Struggle for India's Ocean (https://books.google.com/books?id=ft-RDwAAQBAJ). London.
pp. 57–61. ISBN 1-84904-996-3. OCLC 1029481900 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1029481900).
16. Thiha, Amara (January 4, 2020). "Xi's Upcoming Visit to Myanmar Could Reshape the Indian Ocean Region" (https://thediplomat.com/2020/
01/xis-upcoming-visit-to-myanmar-could-reshape-the-indian-ocean-region/). The Diplomat. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2020011
2022017/https://thediplomat.com/2020/01/xis-upcoming-visit-to-myanmar-could-reshape-the-indian-ocean-region/) from the original on
January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
External links

8/11/2020 China-led port project inches ahead in Myanmar - Asia Times
https://asiatimes.com/2019/07/china-led-port-project-inches-ahead-in-myanmar/ 1/15
Menu
China-led port project inches ahead in Myanmar
CITIC-led consortium this month started legally required impact assessments but the controversial $1.3
billion mega-project is still far from a done deal
By THOMPSON CHAU
JULY 15, 2019
AT FINANCE, MYANMAR
      

Local residents' houses in front of buildings of a Chinese oil pipeline project on Myanmar's Madae island in Kyaukphyu. Photo: Facebook

Myanmar’s US$1.3 billion Kyaukphyu deep-sea port project, a China-backed scheme under Beijing’s Belt
and Road Initiative (BRI), is one small step closer to realization.
CITIC Group Corporation, the Chinese state firm leading the project, started this month a legally required
environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and preliminary geological survey, the first signs of
on-the-ground progress for the mega-project.
The moves come eight months after Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government inked a framework
agreement with a CITIC-led consortium. The agreement fell short of, but paved the way for, an actual
concession-granting deal.
The CITIC-led consortium, comprised of four other Chinese enterprises and Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand
Group, aims to develop the port as part of a special economic zone (SEZ) in Myanmar’s conflict-ridden
Rakhine state.
Negotiations for the mega-project, green-lighted by previous president Thein Sein, stalled in the first two
years of Suu Kyi’s government, either for reasons of red tape or lingering official unease over the scheme.

When contacted by Asia Times, a CITIC representative declined to speculate on when the two parties
would conclude the ongoing talks.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi during the Belt and Road Forum in
Beijing on May 15, 2017. Photo: AFP/Pool

Last year, the National League for Democracy-led government renegotiated the port’s consortium-
government share-holding ratio down from 85:15 to 70:30, while shaving the project’s total cost from $7.5
billion to $1.3 billion.
The project’s original $7.5 billion price tag was criticized last year as “crazy” by Suu Kyi’s economic advisor
Sean Turnell, an Australian academic and expert on Myanmar’s financial system.
Turnell warned of a possible debt trap scenario akin to Sri Lanka’s China-financed Hambantota port,
which saw the state give Beijing a 99-year lease for the facility in exchange for debt relief.
With the Kyaukphyu port project’s cost slashed by over $6 billion, the NLD government now claims it will
not become a sovereignty-eroding debt burden. But there are other complicating factors.
For one, Rakhine state’s Rohingya refugee crisis has severely strained relations with the West, with the
European Union now considering whether to withdraw Myanmar’s special trade privileges.

That’s reaffirmed China’s position as the country’s indispensable partner, accounting for around a quarter
of total approved foreign investments. However, Chinese outlays, as with many mega-projects in
Myanmar, have been attended by controversy.
More than a thousand Myanmar demonstrators rally demanding the government to permanently stop the construction of the Myitsone
dam. Photo: AFP

Beijing’s recent efforts to restart the $3.8 billion Myitsone dam, designed to export as much as 90% of its
power to China, have been met with a backlash, while Yangon’s China-backed “new city” scheme has come
under fire for lacking an open tender process.
Kyaukphyu faces similar risks of a backlash, analysts say. Yuan Shaobin, CITIC Myanmar’s executive
president, said in 2017 that the just commenced ESIA process would take at least 1.5 years, meaning the
earliest actual construction could start would be in early 2021.
Experts already foresee potential legal snags.
If CITIC’s plan relates to only the port without an SEZ, then the current Kyaukphyu SEZ authority in
charge must transfer oversight responsibilities to the Myanmar Investment Commission, according to
Sean Bain, legal adviser to the International Commission of Jurists.
“On the other hand, if an SEZ remains part of the plans for Kyaukphyu, any environmental impact
assessment must be site-wide, incorporating all aspects of the project from the seaport to the industrial
zones and the envisaged industries,” he added.
Bain says the announced assessment appears to only concern the port, which would fail to examine the
cumulative environmental and human rights impacts of a wider project that includes a SEZ.
“The confusion highlights the ongoing lack of transparency about these projects,” Bain said.
In recent months, Suu Kyi has called for more investment in Rakhine state and pushed to improve the
coastal region’s infrastructure, including through the financial support of local tycoons with ties to the

previous military regime.
An aerial view near Kyaukphyu, in western Myanmar Rakhine state. Photo: AFP/Soe Than Win

Rakhine’s poverty rate is significantly higher than the national average despite its abundance of resources
including untapped stores of natural gas. Deep-rooted political and security issues have undercut the
state’s economic progress.
More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine for Bangladesh since 2017 following a
controversial military clampdown in response to attacks by the upstart, insurgent Arakan Rohingya
Salvation Army.
The United Nations has said the military campaign was disproportionate and may have had “genocidal
intent”, a charge Myanmar authorities have steadfastly denied but one that could eventually lead to
punitive new sanctions.
The Kyaukphyu port project’s proponents argue that it will provide much-needed infrastructure and jobs
in an impoverished region which otherwise struggles to attract business and investment.
China’s motivations for Kyaukphyu, to be sure, are as geo-strategic as they are economic. The area houses
terminals for twin oil and gas pipelines that extend across Myanmar into China’s landlocked southwestern
Yunnan province.
If built, the port will give China strategic access to the Indian Ocean via the Bay of Bengal, reducing its
reliance and vulnerability to maritime trade that currently passes through the narrow and congested Strait
of Malacca.

A jetty for oil tankers is seen on Madae island, Kyaukpyu township, Rakhine state, Myanmar in a ﬁle photo. Photo: Twitter
It would also have significant economic upshots for China, according to Mekong Economics country
representative in Myanmar Sten te Vogt.

The facility will potentially cut costs and save time for China’s trade with South Asia, the Middle East,
Europe and elsewhere. That depends, however, on the development of supporting transport
infrastructure, including connecting rail lines.
Myanmar’s transport ministry is now mulling the feasibility of a proposed $9 billion railway linking the
central city of Mandalay to the northern border town of Muse, which is situated across from the Chinese
town of Ruili.
Myanma Railways expects the Kunming-Ruili railway, which is now under construction and is designed to
connect to the Muse-Mandalay route, to be completed by 2021.
Still, potential controversy abounds. A now-disbanded commission on Rakhine state’s problems led by
former UN secretary general Kofi Annan recommended a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for
Kyaukphyu before the project proceeds.
The commission recommended that the SEA probe in particular how the China-backed scheme and other
policies would impact the local environment and communities, and assess how other industries may be
affected by the project.
Past investments in Kyaukphyu – and Myanmar more broadly – suggest significant risks with only limited
upside for trickle down economic benefits for local communities, the commission report warned.

A Myanmar mother and son carry a basket of ﬁsh in Kyaukphyu township, Rakhine state, in a ﬁle photo. Photo: Twitter
China’s pipeline project, for instance, sparked local tensions over land grabs, insufficient compensation for
damages, environmental degradation and an influx of foreign workers that took construction jobs from
locals.

Suu Kyi publicly endorsed and promised to implement the commission’s recommendations, including a
SEA for Kyaukphyu’s port.
“It is critically important that an SEA be done first [before the ESIA],” said commission member Laetitia
van den Assum, a retired Dutch diplomat. “It is much broader in scope than an ESIA and provides both
immediate and longer-term benefits.
“Merely looking at Kyaukpyu port itself and not considering many of the factors that define the much
larger area around it and the communities that call it home is asking for trouble,” she told Asia Times.
“Unless the government recognizes the urgent necessity to develop and implement a comprehensive plan
for the future of Rakhine state and all its people, the tensions will persist.”
Asia Times Financial is now live. Linking accurate news, insightful analysis and local knowledge with the ATF China Bond 50 Index, the
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