Abstract
This chapter provides a rich overview of Myanmar’s relationship with China within the context of the Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI). While many projects in Myanmar long predate the MSRI, they have been reinvigorated because of their importance to China, owing to its resource and trade insecurities and Myanmar’s economic needs. Still, these projects coupled with Myanmar’s other massive trade and investment ties with China have brought Myanmar only partly under China’s sway because of the countervailing forces emanating from inter alia Myanmar’s democratization, the pluralization of its polity, concerns about Chinese domination, problems associated with Chinese projects, and interactions between Myanmar and third parties such as India. Still, proximity, Myanmar’s development requirements, and the Rakhine crisis ensure Naypyidaw must maintain good ties with Beijing.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Brent Christensen, Don Emmerson, May Tan-Mullins, and Jonathan Odom for invaluable feedback.
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Malik, J.M. (2019). Myanmar’s Role in China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative. In: Blanchard, JM. (eds) China's Maritime Silk Road Initiative and Southeast Asia. Palgrave Studies in Asia-Pacific Political Economy. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9275-8_5
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