Myanmar’s Situation Under NLD Governance and China–Myanmar Co-construction OBOR

Abstract

After NLD took power led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, continuing the position and attitude towards OBOR of U Thein Sein government, issuing some statements to support OBOR initiative, but it is slow to build OBOR in the past year for Myanmar. One of the most important reasons is that the first priority of NLD government is on national reconciliation. Other issues such as economic development and democratization mostly revolve around national reconciliation. As a result, it is difficult to form strategic docking with OBOR which aims to promote the economic development. Besides, Myanmar’s overstatement about its geopolitical importance in OBOR Initiative also affects its engagement in this initiative. After assessing the possible resistance from Myanmar, China reduces its expectations of building “China–Myanmar Economic Corridor” in the short term under the OBOR, and instead implements the two-wing strategy in the Indian Ocean in a circuitous route to push China–Pakistan Economic Corridor in southwest of Myanmar, upgrades GMC in Southwest of Myanmar, vigorously promoting Lancang–Mekong Cooperation Mechanism. If the NLD continues to regard national reconciliation as the first priority of ruling that is difficult to achieve a major breakthrough in the short term, it is difficult to realize strategic docking for China and Myanmar on OBOR establishment as well as to make great breakthrough on building OBOR.