China has announced it will build a railway line connecting a Myanmar border town to the planned deep-sea port it is building at Kyaukphyu, which will, along with an ongoing pipeline project, help secure access to both energy resources and a strategically-significant Indian Ocean port in that country.
The state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday the China Railways Engineering Corporation and the Myanmar Union Ministry of Rail Transportation had signed a memorandum of understanding to complete the 126-km first phase of the railway line by 2014. The line will run from Kyaukphyu to the border town of Muse.
Xinhua said the project would be implemented in line with the gas pipeline China was building from Kyaukphyu to Ruili in Yunnan province, which bordered Myanmar.
China is also planning to invest in setting up a special industrial zone at Kyaukphyu, which the Chinese government hopes will emerge as an important centre of energy imports, amid an ongoing effort to reduce its dependence on the Malacca Straits as a route for its oil imports.
Earlier this month, China and Myanmar pledged to deepen their political cooperation. Underscoring the closeness of their ties, Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin, who is also the fourth-ranked official on the Communist Party Politburo's Standing Committee, became the first high-ranked foreign official to visit Myanmar following last year's controversial elections.
Mr. Jia expressed China's support to newly-elected President Thein Sein, who earlier served as head of the military regime. He said China “supports Myanmar's development mode chosen in accordance with the country's own conditions”.