China Begins Receiving Natural Gas from Shwe Pipeline. The geopolitics of China’s new energy route. Author: K.
Yhome, Observer Research Foundation China’s state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) completed construction of a natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to China on 28 May 2013 and is close to finishing an oil pipeline. The pipeline will start delivering gas from Myanmar’s west coast in the Bay of Bengal to Kunming (the capital of China’s Yunnan province) on 1 July, while the oil pipeline will transport China’s crude shipments from the Persian Gulf and Africa when it is completed later this year. The new route for oil and gas imports to China is a significant imprint in the geopolitical landscape of the region and forms a key factor in the strategic calculus of major actors. The pipelines are also the first signs of China realising the dream of opening up its southwest provinces to the Indian Ocean. Tajikistan’s Gas Boom: Prosperity or Conflict?
Natural gas resources could be a boon to Tajikistan, but the downside risk is significant.
By Gabe Collins and Bo White for The Diplomat June 05, 2013 Facebook7. The Next Oil?: Rare Earth Metals. Rare earth metals are quickly becoming the next important strategic resource.
For many countries in Asia, the stakes are big. By Elliot Brennan for The Diplomat.