Paddies and teak forests will be flattened for a colossal Beijing-backed factory zone and deep-sea port, which will serve as its neighbouring giant's gateway to the Indian Ocean. Beijing is now poised to cement its grip on the area with the deep-sea port, signed off in November last year, and a colossal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of garment and food processing factories. Today the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port and SEZ are a prize piece in China's plethora of infrastructure projects spanning the globe under its Belt and Road initiative. 'Other people's slaves'Soe Win from the Kyaukphyu SEZ management committee says Myanmar is "definitely" in the stronger negotiating position. "If the money from Rakhine State were actually spent in Rakhine, it would develop overnight."

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 13, 2019 14:33 UTC