The Uncertain Future of the Sino-Myanmar Pipeline

Domestic political opposition and security concerns in Myanmar could threaten an energy pipeline built in the country by China, its longtime patron. Beijing conceived of the pipeline before Myanmar began its opening to the rest of the world in 2010, but since that time, much has changed. Domestic opposition to the project, once largely contained, has escalated, and the government itself may be looking to improve the terms of its energy deal with the Chinese and reduce Myanmar's dependence on China overall. These factors, combined with the activity of numerous ethnic militias operating in areas through which the pipeline runs, could call the reliability of the newly opened pipeline into question.