Chinese firms 'can do more' in Myanmar
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Chinese investors can do more in Myanmar to match their country's economic clout, Myanmar's top envoy in Beijing has said.
"China can do more for economic cooperation and infrastructure development (in Myanmar)," Ambassador Thein Lwin said in an e-mail interview with China Daily.
The ambassador listed energy, transport and telecommunications as major sectors for Chinese companies to invest in, as resource-rich Myanmar is keen to improve its infrastructure.
China is the second-largest trading partner and the fourth-largest foreign investor of Myanmar. Two-way trade hit $1.73 billion from January to August last year, while Chinese investment totaled $330 million, figures from the Chinese Foreign Ministry showed.
Thein cited a China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline project, one of the largest foreign investments in Myanmar, as one that would benefit both countries.
Many factors - regional development, infrastructure construction, local employment and environment - should be considered, he said.
In November 2008, the two countries agreed to build a $1.5-billion oil pipeline and $1.04-billion natural gas pipeline, which will reportedly be able to deliver 240,000 barrels of oil a day and 12 billion cubic meters of gas a year to China.
"I hope the project would bring in more Chinese business people to Myanmar," the ambassador said.
Thein also said the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, will help promote economic ties.
"Most of the business people welcome the arrangement," he said, referring to the world's largest free trade area in terms of population. The FTA was implemented on January 1.
Calling China a good neighbor and true friend, Thein said Beijing always stands ready to help his country's peace and stability.
In April, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Beijing wishes to see parties in Myanmar achieve national reconciliation through consultation and realize stability, democracy and development.
Thein said the two nations have enjoyed good, long-term ties. Myanmar is one of the few Asian countries that established diplomatic relations in the early days of the People's Republic of China. The two countries also maintained frequent high-level official exchanges in the past decades.
Similarly, the ambassador emphasized the significance of promoting people-to-people exchanges.
He said he was glad to see that China has become a new destination for Myanmar students in recent years. They used to regard countries such as Singapore and the United States as their first choice.
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