Through its decades of economic isolation resulting from Western sanctions, Myanmar found China a critical ally and investment partner.
However the large projects undertaken with China often served to exacerbate anti-China sentiment in the country, which has always had a contentious relationship with its northern neighbor.
Though a substantial ethnic-Chinese population has long been a part of Myanmar’s demographic landscape, an influx of Chinese immigrants with business connections in Northern Myanmar over the past 20 years has caused tensions and anti-Chinese feelings to rise
Like many issues in Myanmar, anti-Chinese feelings have come to the surface and been manipulated since the democratic transition removed censorship and created a new political economy.
In September 2011 the Thein Sein government abandoned the Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State.
Ninety percent of the electricity produced by the $3.6 billion dam would have gone to China, which, combined with its environmental impact, led to broad protest in Myanmar.

More recently, the Director of Myanmar’s railway ministry, Myint Wai, announced in July 2014 the cancelation of a proposed $20 billion railway link between Myanmar’s oil-producing Rakhine State and China’s Yunnan Province citing “public demand.”
Some, however, speculate that the Myanmar government simply decided that the long timescale of the project would not provide it ample revenue, and that the termination of western sanctions has given it other options.

And despite these few lags in the economic relationship between the two countries, A large number of projects are still under way.
During a visit to Myanmar in November 2014 by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, China and Myanmar signed investment deals in energy, agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure and finance worth $7.8 billion.
Like Letpadaung, the controversial Kyaukpyu-Kunming oil pipeline has been built despite massive public protest.
Many in Rakhine State resent their small share of revenues.
Through its decades of economic isolation resulting from Western sanctions, Myanmar found China a critical ally and investment partner. However the large projects undertaken with China often served to exacerbate anti-China sentiment in the country, which has always had a contentious relationship with its northern neighbor. Though a substantial ethnic-Chinese population has long been a part of Myanmar’s demographic landscape, an influx of Chinese immigrants with business connections in Northern Myanmar over the past 20 years has caused tensions and anti-Chinese feelings to rise
Like many issues in Myanmar, anti-Chinese feelings have come to the surface and been manipulated since the democratic transition removed censorship and created a new political economy. In September 2011 the Thein Sein government abandoned the Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State. Ninety percent of the electricity produced by the $3.6 billion dam would have gone to China, which, combined with its environmental impact, led to broad protest in Myanmar.
More recently, the Director of Myanmar’s railway ministry, Myint Wai, announced in July 2014 the cancelation of a proposed $20 billion railway link between Myanmar’s oil-producing Rakhine State and China’s Yunnan Province citing “public demand.” Some, however, speculate that the Myanmar government simply decided that the long timescale of the project would not provide it ample revenue, and that the termination of western sanctions has given it other options.
And despite these few lags in the economic relationship between the two countries, A large number of projects are still under way. During a visit to Myanmar in November 2014 by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, China and Myanmar signed investment deals in energy, agriculture, telecommunications, infrastructure and finance worth $7.8 billion. Like Letpadaung, the controversial Kyaukpyu-Kunming oil pipeline has been built despite massive public protest. Many in Rakhine State resent their small share of revenues.
Letpadaung Copper Mine