Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeInternational RelationsChina says it will keep talking to Burma over stalled Myitsone dam

China says it will keep talking to Burma over stalled Myitsone dam

China said on Wednesday it will continue to talk to Burma about a controversial stalled dam project, after Burma’s new energy minister cast doubt over the scheme.

Valued at $3.6 billion, the Myitsone dam project in northern Burma’s Kachin State has been a sticking point between the two countries since the previous military-backed government suspended work in 2011.

Reuters reported in April that officials in China and Burma were discussing alternative options that would allow Burma to scrap the massive project amid environmental concerns.

Big hydropower dams are not a priority in Burma’s strategy to tackle chronic power shortages, Energy Minister Win Khaing told Reuters on Tuesday.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China’s position on the Myitsone dam had not changed, which was that China had always upheld deepening cooperation with Burma on a mutually beneficial basis.

“The Myitsone hydropower station is a commercial cooperation project both sides have already agreed upon, and has already been through a complete approval process,” Hua told a daily news briefing.

[related]

“We will continue to maintain communication with the Myanmar side and proactively and appropriately handle the problems or difficulties which arise during cooperation on the project, to allow relevant cooperation to continue to develop healthily and stably,” she added.

The proposed dam, on the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River in Kachin State, would have sent most of its power across the border to China’s Yunnan province, which now has an oversupply of electricity as it switches to less energy-intensive industries amid an economic slowdown.

A government panel set up in August 2016 was still reviewing the dam, Burma’s energy minister said, adding that the government was in dialogue with the Chinese operator, State Power Investment Corp subsidiary Yunnan International Power Investment.

RELATED ARTICLES

Feel the passion for press freedom ignite within you.

Join us as a valued contributor to our vibrant community, where your voice harmonizes with the symphony of truth. Together, we'll amplify the power of free journalism.

Lost Password?
Contact