The generals who have run Burma since 1962 are said to be nervous about becoming too dependent on Beijing. Chinese companies are involved in some 20 energy projects including the construction of a 500-mile pipeline to pump oil and gas to landlocked Yunnan province. In border towns and cities such as Mandalay, Chinese money and influence are everywhere. For years, both the US and the European Union – which have imposed varying degrees of sanctions – have been losing sway over Rangoon.
據說,自1962年以來一直執掌緬甸大權的將軍們擔心,緬甸會變得過度依賴中國。目前,中國公司參與了約20個緬甸能源項目,其中包括建設一條500英里長的管道,將石油和天然氣輸往中國內陸省份雲南。在曼德勒(Mandalay)等邊境城鎮,中國的資金和影響力無處不在。多年來,一直對緬甸實施不同程度制裁的美國和歐盟對緬甸的影響力正不斷減弱。