UPSC Articles
China opens first road-rail transport link to Indian Ocean
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II- International Relations
Context: A new rail line providing China with access to the Indian Ocean via Myanmar was opened recently on the Chinese side of the border.
- The rail line will enable China to trans-ship cargo from Singapore Port via Myanmar.
- The rail line stretches from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to Lincang, a prefecture-level city in China’s Yunnan Province opposite Chin Shwe Haw, a border trade town in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan State.
Importance of the route
- The route (Check out the given map) is the first to link western China with the Indian Ocean.
- It will significantly reduce the time needed to import cargo to landlocked Yunnan Province.
- The route is expected to become the lifeblood of international trade for China and Myanmar, while providing a source of income for Myanmar’s military regime.
Economic cooperation zone in Chin Shwe Haw
- Meanwhile, measures are under way to establish a border economic cooperation zone in Chin Shwe Haw as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- The planned zone will become an intermediate economic hub for Yunnan Province’s imports and exports.
Do you know?
- This passage connects the logistics lines of Singapore, Myanmar and China, and is currently the most convenient land and sea channel linking the Indian Ocean with southwest China