On the Yunnan-Rakhine Corridor

The security challenges that emerged from the Rohingya crisis have augmented China’s security interests associated with Rakhine.

By  Yun Sun

In China

This article was originally published by TOAEP.

While Myanmar’s Rakhine State has attracted the world’s attention due to the Rohingya crisis, the unique role Rakhine plays in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (‘BRI’) is less known. Contrary to popular perception, Myanmar’s comparative advantages in China’s BRI blueprint do not come from its natural resources or labour, but rather from its geopolitical location as China’s potential gateway to the Indian Ocean.

Rakhine State, which dominates Myanmar’s west coast facing the Andaman Sea, has become the host of China’s two largest investment projects in the country: the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines, and the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port. Both projects carry special strategic importance for China’s national agenda. The security challenges that emerged from the Rohingya crisis have augmented China’s security interests associated with Rakhine.

Read the full issue brief in TOAEP.

Recent & Related

Chapter
Benjamin Creutzfeldt • Parsifal D’Sola Alvarado
Chapter
Barbara Kelemen

Subscription Options

* indicates required

Research Areas

Pivotal Places

Publications & Project Lists

38 North: News and Analysis on North Korea