This photo taken on Oct. 2, 2019, shows fishermen boarding their boats at a small jetty on Made Island off Kyaukphyu in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Myanmar is somewhat wary about Chinese investments in places like Kyaukphyu, but there's little it can do to stem the tide.
For China, there's no time like the present to foster closer links with a key country on its frontier. Amid China's push for better transport connections, tighter border control and deeper energy security to the south, President Xi Jinping will begin a two-day visit to Myanmar on Jan. 17, during which time he is expected to sign investment deals for the planned Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone along the countries' shared border and oil and gas pipelines. Moreover, Xi may also push to revive the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project in the northern Kachin state. Ultimately, as Beijing fends off challenges from Washington in its backyard, it will seek assurance from Naypyidaw that Myanmar will adhere to its commitment to China's Belt and Road Initiative and energy security as it heads to a general election later this year.
