Myanmar deep sea port: the next Belt and Road battleground?

After Malaysia cancels high-speed rail development, the spotlight is on a major deal in Myanmar. Critics argue the port will chiefly benefit China, while costing its host country dear.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is coming under unprecedented pressure as citizens in its neighbouring countries question the cost of massive infrastructure projects and whether the host country or China will truly be the beneficiary.

Last month's political earthquake in Malaysia was a stark example of how a government getting cosy with Beijing can cost it political capital at home. Although concern over China-backed railway lines clearly was not the only concern voters had with the government of ousted leader Najib Razak, cancelling rail projects did offer a quick way for the new administration to differentiate itself.

In Vietnam, meanwhile, riots broke out at the weekend amid...

¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.

FinanceAsia has updated its subscription model.

Registered readers now have the opportunity to read 5 articles from our award-winning website for free.

To obtain unlimited access to our award-winning exclusive news and analysis, we offer subscription packages, including single user, team subscription (2-5 users), or office-wide licences.

To help you and your colleagues access our proprietary content, please contact us at [email protected], or +(852) 2122 5222

Article limit is reached.

Hello! You have used up all of your free articles on FinanceAsia.

To obtain unlimited access to our award-winning exclusive news and analysis, we offer subscription packages, including single user, team subscription (2-5 users), or office-wide licences. To help you and your colleagues access our proprietary content, please contact us at [email protected], or +(852) 2122 5222