Myanmar: Chinese Development Finance, 2000-2023
Date Published
May 28, 2026
Authors
JulieAnn Sickell, Brooke Escobar, and Jacqueline Zimmerman
Publisher
Citation
Sickell, J., Escobar, B., and Zimmerman, J. (2026). Myanmar: Chinese Development Finance, 2000-2023. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary.
Abstract
This country profile provides a detailed overview of the scale, scope, and composition of Chinese state-directed financing in Myanmar from 2000 to 2023. It includes granular information on key trends in China’s loan and grant-financed commitments, its lending portfolio, ESG risks in its infrastructure projects, and contractual safeguards adoption and implementation. From 2000 to 2023, China provided 395 grant-related official commitments and directed $13.5 billion via 98 loans issued in Myanmar. Beijing channeled to bulk of its aid and non-concessional loan commitments to Myanmar in 2010, when China committed a total of $5.6 billion in official sector financing for mostly big-ticket infrastructure projects—such as the Myingyan No. 1 Steel Mill Construction Project, the Myanmar-China Oil Pipeline, and the Letpadaung Copper Mine.
The insights in this profile are derived from China's Global Loans and Grants Dataset, Version 1.0 and the sources referenced therein.
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