Myanmar economic zone reimagined as export hub to India
Plans for an economic zone in southern Myanmar will be reworked by Japan into an export base to such markets as India, Nikkei has learned, in an attempt to kick-start the stalled project as China expands its economic influence in the Southeast Asian country.
The new proposal for the Dawei special economic zone being developed jointly by Japan, Myanmar and Thailand will prioritize building logistics and port facilities to turn it into a base for shipping and light industry by 2030.
Japan, Thailand and Myanmar signed an agreement on developing Dawei in 2015, with Tokyo investing in the project through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The original plan was to focus on heavy industry and chemical manufacturing. But much of the land in the area remains vacant, and the planned port has yet to be built.
Takashi Tsuji
