China launched a pipeline Sunday to bring gas from Myanmar amid concerns over the benefits of the pipeline to the local people in Myanmar.
The 793-kilometer (493-mile) pipeline runs from Kyaukpyu on Myanmar's west coast to southwest China's Yunnan province and is expected to transfer 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China annually, according to a news release issued by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
Many local residents in Myanmar are concerned about whether transferring of their natural resources to energy-hungry China will benefit them.
The Chinese state mouth piece, Global Times, in its editorial column, says, "This is another breakthrough in China's strategy of energy diversification and has obvious significance in reducing China's dependence on the Strait of Malacca for the import of oil and natural gas."
A parallel 771 kilometer (479-mile) oil pipeline is under construction that would bring 22 million tones of Middle East oil to China through the Indian Ocean every year.
For quite a long time, China was the most influential foreign partner for Myanmar as many other countries including U.S. had put sanctions against the country. Only recently, sanctions were lifted as the country committed to shake off its decades of rule by generals who kept the country largely isolated from the outside world.
"Myanmar used to be sanctioned by the West and China was its only friend," said the Global Times. "Nowadays, it has opened more to the West. This will reduce its passion in cooperating with China, but does not mean it will set itself against China."
"Myanmar should hold a serious attitude toward China, and Chinese will take (the Myanmar) people's attitude toward the pipeline as a test of their stance on China," added the paper.
