China-Myanmar Pipeline to Open in May

A gas pipeline extending from the Indian Ocean through Myanmar to Southwest China is scheduled to begin pumping before summer. “At present, about 80 per cent of China’s crude oil imports are transported through the strategically important Strait of Malacca, but the new oil pipeline is expected to reduce China’s reliance on that route by about one-third,” report Jamil Anderlini and Gwen Robinson for the Financial Times. “Human rights and environmental groups have criticised the pipeline for safety concerns, environmental damage and inadequate compensation for residents affected by its construction.” The new pipeline, part of China’s plan to decrease dependence on coal, is shorter and bypasses a narrow strait running between Sumatra on the one side and Malaysia and Thailand on the other that could be subjected to terrorism or conflict. However, ethnic unrest and fighting in Myanmar could threaten the new pipeline, too. Volatile politics, especially if citizens are not informed and part of the decision-making process, can disrupt costly, long-term investments in infrastructure. – YaleGlobal