BEIJING: Crude oil began flowing from Myanmar to China over a 1,420 km long pipeline putting the relationship between the two countries on better footing.
The oil reached Ruili, a border city of in China’s Yunnan Province at 4 p.m. on Friday according to the state owned China National Petroleum Corporation, which built the pipeline.
Oil will flow through the pipe at a speed of about 50 kilometers per day for a length of 650 km before reaching a processing facility in the city of Anning in Yunnan. The facility has a designed processing capacity of 13 million tons per year.
Despite differences which was highlighted by Myanmar’s decision to stop work on a $3 billion Chinese funded hydroelectric project, Myanmar has been steadily coming closer to China since the new pro-democracy government led by among others, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi took over.
Aung San Suu Kyi recently participated in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing which India boycotted.
A Chinese naval fleet with three war ships recently visited Myanmar.
A Chinese naval fleet comprising three warships — Changchun, Jingzhou and Chaohu of Escort Task Group recently visited called the Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa (MITT) in Yangon’s Thanlyin township.
China is keen to enhance access the Bay of Bengal and eventually the Indian Ocean by building close ties with Myanmar. India experts say this is something for India to worry about.
Source: Times of India
