In late September, President Thein Sein suddenly – and surprisingly – ordered the suspension of work on the massive Myitsone dam, close to the Chinese border, planned and financed by Beijing. In so doing, he instantly became a hero at home but was forced to weather significant ire from the Chinese government. Up to 90 percent of the electricity generated from the dam would have been channelled into energy-hungry China.
The USD 3.6 billion project (still in its early stages when called off) would have had as massive impact on the Irrawaddy River, one of the country's main rivers and watersheds. Situated in northern Kachin state, the dam's reservoir would have flooded an area the size of Singapore. Environmental-impact studies conducted by activists and even the Burmese government itself clearly revealed the potential environmental dangers the project posed; to make matters worse, the site was near an earthquake fault line. From its inception in 2006, there has been vehement opposition to the project, especially among the Kachin. Campaigners have been running anti-dam campaigns on the Internet, with some anti-dam meetings even taking place in Rangoon. The campaigns struck a note with many nationalists, including businessmen, who feared that if the dam was not stopped it could generate social unrest similar to the anti-Chinese riots of the late 1960s.
When President Thein Sein announced the suspension of the project, Burmese newspapers and social-media sites lit up with praise for the move – and particularly for the president himself. 'You are Burma's saviour,' said one post on Facebook; 'You have listened to the people and shown your colours,' rejoiced a blogger. Of course, such eulogising was not mirrored in China. The company building the dam, China Power Investment Corporation, was taken aback; its president, Lu Qizhou, told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that he had been taken completely by surprise by the announcement and threatened legal action. Chinese politicians also entered the fray and demanded that Burma 'protect Chinese enterprises' legal and legitimate rights'. Any problem should be resolved through 'friendly consultation', said the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hong Lei, the day after the suspension announcement. The move was clearly seen as anything but 'friendly'.
The relationship between China and Burma has been deep under the military junta. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in its neighbour to bolster its standing, while Naypyidaw has considered China by far its most important ally. The two have found that they have much in common in terms of confronting Western criticism of human-rights abuses. China gave the junta a measure of international protection, and helped the latter sidestep sanctions imposed by Western countries. China is also the biggest supplier of military hardware and ammunition to the Burmese military. 'There is a special relationship between us, especially between the two armies,' a former senior Burmese military intelligence officer told this reporter several years ago.