The bully playing games with border trade
Restrictions on border trade with China are a big headache for many Myanmar merchants. China officially bans most rice imports from Myanmar, for example, but its border officials often turn a blind eye to the trade.
In early February though the Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on rice imported across the border and some arrests were made. The crackdown has resulted in tonnes of rice accumulating at the border. Exports of live cattle have also been affected by the enforcement of a ban that was not announced in advance. Thousands of cattle transported to the border for sale to China have had to be sold in Myanmar at heavily reduced prices.
Sithu Aung Myint
