China's Belt and Road Initiative in Myanmar: Governance and State-Society Implications

Abstract: Sino-Myanmar relations entail a complex and deep-rooted web of connections linking state and non-state actors with state and private capital. Based on qualitative fieldwork conducted in 2019, this article argues that Chinese investments in Myanmar have exacerbated the precarious state-societal relations. Our argument is based on three interconnected reasons: the lack of engagement and corporate social responsibility in Chinese projects, China's engagement with Myanmar's Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), and the large presence of Chinese capital in the country's informal and often illicit economy. Such dynamics have increased the anti-China sentiment and heightened frictions in an already fragmented political and economic situation. As a result, contrary to China's "win-win" claims, Belt and Road Inititative projects have not contributed to equitable socioeconomic developments but have exacerbated state-society tensions. We conclude by considering the implications of the 2021 coup d'état, its impact on Sino-Myanmar relations, and the prospects for BRI implementation.