Lankan Ranger
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China beats India to Stilwell Road contract in Myanmar
China has stolen a march over India over the construction of a key section of the historic Stilwell Road. The Myanmar military government has awarded the contract for a 312-km road, linking Myitkyina in Kachin State to Pangsau Pass on the Arunachal Pradesh border, to Chinese company Yunnan Construction Engineering Group and the junta-backed Yuzana Group.
The 1,079-km Stilwell road, named after World War II General Joseph Warren Stilwell aka Vinegar Joe, links Ledo in Assam with Kunming in China through the Pangsau Pass.
In 2001, the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had visited Myanmar and signed several proposals including opening the Pangsau Pass crossing for border trade. Since then, India had evinced interest in building a part of the road from Ledo to Tanai in Myanmar’s Kachin state, via the Pangsau Pass, a stretch of 230 km.
During the visit of Myanmar’s Vice-Senior General Maung Aye to India in April 2008, Rangoon asked New Delhi to build the Stilwell Road from Ledo to Tanai.
But it is now learnt that Yunnan Construction and Yuzana signed an agreement on November 22 for construction of the Myitkyina-Tanai-Pangsau Pass section of the road that was used by allied forces to supply China during World War II.
The Chinese delegation that signed the road agreement was led by the Communist Party Secretary of Yunnan province. The winding road is 160 km from Pangsau to Tanai, the headwaters of the Chindwin river, and another 152 km to Myitkyina.
China beats India to Stilwell Road contract in Myanmar
China has stolen a march over India over the construction of a key section of the historic Stilwell Road. The Myanmar military government has awarded the contract for a 312-km road, linking Myitkyina in Kachin State to Pangsau Pass on the Arunachal Pradesh border, to Chinese company Yunnan Construction Engineering Group and the junta-backed Yuzana Group.
The 1,079-km Stilwell road, named after World War II General Joseph Warren Stilwell aka Vinegar Joe, links Ledo in Assam with Kunming in China through the Pangsau Pass.
In 2001, the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had visited Myanmar and signed several proposals including opening the Pangsau Pass crossing for border trade. Since then, India had evinced interest in building a part of the road from Ledo to Tanai in Myanmar’s Kachin state, via the Pangsau Pass, a stretch of 230 km.
During the visit of Myanmar’s Vice-Senior General Maung Aye to India in April 2008, Rangoon asked New Delhi to build the Stilwell Road from Ledo to Tanai.
But it is now learnt that Yunnan Construction and Yuzana signed an agreement on November 22 for construction of the Myitkyina-Tanai-Pangsau Pass section of the road that was used by allied forces to supply China during World War II.
The Chinese delegation that signed the road agreement was led by the Communist Party Secretary of Yunnan province. The winding road is 160 km from Pangsau to Tanai, the headwaters of the Chindwin river, and another 152 km to Myitkyina.
China beats India to Stilwell Road contract in Myanmar
