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Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia
Thant Myint-U’s Where China Meets India is a vivid, searching, timely book about the remote region that is suddenly a geopolitical center of the world. From their very beginnings, China and India have been walled off from each other: by the towering summits of the Himalayas, by a vast and impenetrable jungle, by hostile tribes and remote inland kingdoms stretching a thousand miles from Calcutta across Burma to the upper Yangtze River. Soon this last great frontier will vanish—the forests cut down, dirt roads replaced by superhighways, insurgencies crushed—leaving China and India exposed to each other as never before. This basic shift in geography—as sudden and profound as the opening of the Suez Canal—will lead to unprecedented connections among the three billion people of Southeast Asia and the Far East. What will this change mean? Thant Myint-U is in a unique position to know. Over the past few years he has traveled extensively across this vast territory, where high-speed trains and gleaming new shopping malls are now coming within striking distance of the last far-flung rebellions and impoverished mountain communities. And he has explored the new strategic centrality of Burma, where Asia’s two rising, giant powers appear to be vying for supremacy. At once a travelogue, a work of history, and an informed look into the future, Where China Meets India takes us across the fast-changing Asian frontier, giving us a masterful account of the region’s long and rich history and its sudden significance for the rest of the world.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
90 people are currently reading
1059 people want to read
About the author
Thant Myint-U
10 books196 followersThant Myint-U was educated at Harvard and Cambridge University and later taught history for several years as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He has also served on three United Nations peacekeeping operations, in Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat in New York. He is the author of a personal history of Burma, The River of Lost Footsteps.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 27, 2011
A rather interesting book about the three countries of Burma, China and India and how Burma was, is being and will continued to be influenced by the government policies, economies and cultures of the two big neighbours. Reads like a personal memoir, a history, travelogue, a geo-political non-fiction and a current affairs book- a combination of several genres. The author Thant Myint-U(The River of Lost Footsteps) who is the grandson of the former UN Secretary General U Thant travelled to several cities and towns across the three countries some well-known and prominent like Delhi, Yangon(Rangoon) and Beijing while some are obscure little places in Yunnan, Assam and Manipur etc.
The book’s main theme is about how Burma is slowly but surely becoming the center of the Asian political arena, if not the global political stage as China and India’s interests in the country grow larger but China might be way ahead of the game. It has become the new crossroads of Asia. In my opinion, the best parts of the book is when the author describes the sights, sounds and smells of the places he visits and my favorites being Yangon, Calcutta, Dali and the last but not the least Maymyo. Politics-wise, the author does not strike me as a harsh critic of the Chinese communist government or the Burmese military junta’s policies. And I feel like he did withhold some crucial information. He restrained himself from writing more about the political situation in Burma but there is substantial information about politics in Manipur, Assam, Bangladesh etc. In addition, he included a great amount of political struggles in places like Yunnan and Tibet too but he wrote limited information on Burma’s past and present political struggles. Maybe, he assumed that the audience already know about this? I like how the author could vividly establish links between the three countries past, present and future.
This is a great book if you haven’t found out anything about Burma, China or India and by reading this book and looking to find out at least something about the countries which are constantly heading the news(Chindia!), You will definitely gain some background on all the three countries history, politics and economies. Of course, the big picture here is the geopolitics and let’s wait and see whether the book’s optimistic endings will come true or not.
November 6, 2016
I love the travelogue style writing with history embedded for each place. I'm not usually into history books but that one attract me to the end cuz of that travelogue style writing. That's fascinating to read and travel along with the writer from Rangoon to Yunnan then to Culculta and many other cities around the border of Burma, China and India and learn about the regions and history of these cities along the way. I feel like i actually wanna visit these places after reading this book. It's interesting to read how these 3 countries are related and affairs between these countries. Overall it's a good read for even a person like me who don't usually enjoy history books. :D
December 11, 2011
Way too much details of Historical past and their analysis than focusing on the present and future. Plus the book contains more information about Indian and Chinese history than about Burma (Myanmar). The author could have done justice by looking more into Burma and the present and the future and the whole geopolitics scenario rather than focus on the two neighbors alone.
November 1, 2021
Part memoir, part travelogue, part history/geopolitics, all parts succinct. Mostly Sino-centric, and dated by a decade.
June 23, 2022
Where China Meets India starts on the premise that Burma is the new crossroads of Asia, looking at the opportunities the country could play geopolitically. Throughout the book, Thant Myint-U refers to the country as Burma even though the military government renamed the country officially into the “Republic of the Union of Myanmar” in 1989 (similarly, Yangon is referred to throughout the book using its old English name “Rangoon”). The author mentions in his Notes that the older spellings are used rather than the official Burmese-language versions since the older spellings are still better known. I was thinking if there is any political dimension on the use of the term Burma since the United States up until now still refers to the country as Burma, in an attempt to assert the view that "any change of the name of a country should be a decision" for its people. The military junta infamously asked the international community to refer to the country as “Myanmar”, viewing that the country consists of so many different ethnicities rather than the term “Burma” which signifies only the majority ethnic Bamar. Both sides of the argument have their points, but I also noticed that the author employs older spellings for other cities in India (Calcutta instead of Kolkata and Bombay instead of Mumbai, to note some) for the sake of historical consistencies. So perhaps, the decision to use the older spellings is part of the scholarly approach too.
It was around reading the book halfway that I realised that the author is a grandson of U Thant, a Burmese diplomat who took office as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, as the author does not directly refer his name. For example, he mentions briefly growing up as a Burmese in the United States and attending the funeral of his grandfather in Yangon when he was eight (U Thant was buried in Rangoon in 1974). I think it shows that the author is humble and avoids too many personal references that might compromise the reading experience since the focus of this book is on how China and India play some role in catalysing developments in the twenty-first century Burma, compared to their relations in the past. I like the way the author presents this book in a form that combines travelogue with historical analysis. It’s just like watching a documentary where a host would present the current affairs directly from the field and then insert some narratives to provide some contexts of the historical affairs that took place in the region. The author also happened to travel at least twice to the places he mentions throughout the book, in the early 1990s and right before the book’s publication in 2012, which provides perspectives on how Indo-Burmese and Sino-Burmese relations were viewed then and now.
The book is also divided into three parts, each of which describes the author’s travels to Burma, China and India. I think this book would serve well as a travel guidebook (albeit without any pictures on it), given the author’s detailed descriptions of his travels (up to commentaries on the weather and hotels). The author’s double identity as a Burmese growing up in the United States also provides rich perspectives, to see Burma from both insider and outsider perspectives. Readers unfamiliar with Burma will understand the historical complexities that led to the unending civil war in the country between the military junta and multiple ethnic armed organisations following the end of British rule there, as well as the roles that China and India play in the conflict (and in trades too).
Geography is central to the explanations in the book. Geographically, the Shan State in Burma borders the Yunnan Province in China, whereas the Northeast States of India (Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram) border the Arakan and Kachin States as well as the Sagaing Region. And as they are geographically close, naturally there would be contact ever since the antiquities, both culturally and economically. It would make sense for China, for example, to want to build an access to the Bay of Bengal from the landlocked Yunnan Province in order to boost the economy of its interior province, and the same for India with its landlocked provinces that only have access to the sea via Bangladesh or through a corridor that passes Guwahati in Assam. The author also put down some analysis on India's Look-East connectivity projects that look to connect Northeast India to East Asia and Southeast Asia and also China’s progressive approach of courting both the military junta and some ethnic armed organisations.
The future of Burma in relation to China and India is still unclear. But the author’s perspectives through his journeys and scholarly research are interesting to note, on the role of conflict resolution in Burma and how Burma could play a role as a crossroads between two growing influences in the region. Interestingly, the conflict resolution that the author imagines is not only about politics, but there are also economic dimensions to it as well. Caught between two large countries with different political systems (China, a country ruled by one party with limited political freedom but a growing influence in terms of economic growth, and India, a democracy that finds itself in a similar position with Burma in the Northeast with armed separatist rebels), Burma seems to be on the “crossroads” indeed. There are potentials, but also threats to consider from the relationships with both China and India, that are covered in balanced views on all grounds.
It was around reading the book halfway that I realised that the author is a grandson of U Thant, a Burmese diplomat who took office as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, as the author does not directly refer his name. For example, he mentions briefly growing up as a Burmese in the United States and attending the funeral of his grandfather in Yangon when he was eight (U Thant was buried in Rangoon in 1974). I think it shows that the author is humble and avoids too many personal references that might compromise the reading experience since the focus of this book is on how China and India play some role in catalysing developments in the twenty-first century Burma, compared to their relations in the past. I like the way the author presents this book in a form that combines travelogue with historical analysis. It’s just like watching a documentary where a host would present the current affairs directly from the field and then insert some narratives to provide some contexts of the historical affairs that took place in the region. The author also happened to travel at least twice to the places he mentions throughout the book, in the early 1990s and right before the book’s publication in 2012, which provides perspectives on how Indo-Burmese and Sino-Burmese relations were viewed then and now.
The book is also divided into three parts, each of which describes the author’s travels to Burma, China and India. I think this book would serve well as a travel guidebook (albeit without any pictures on it), given the author’s detailed descriptions of his travels (up to commentaries on the weather and hotels). The author’s double identity as a Burmese growing up in the United States also provides rich perspectives, to see Burma from both insider and outsider perspectives. Readers unfamiliar with Burma will understand the historical complexities that led to the unending civil war in the country between the military junta and multiple ethnic armed organisations following the end of British rule there, as well as the roles that China and India play in the conflict (and in trades too).
Geography is central to the explanations in the book. Geographically, the Shan State in Burma borders the Yunnan Province in China, whereas the Northeast States of India (Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram) border the Arakan and Kachin States as well as the Sagaing Region. And as they are geographically close, naturally there would be contact ever since the antiquities, both culturally and economically. It would make sense for China, for example, to want to build an access to the Bay of Bengal from the landlocked Yunnan Province in order to boost the economy of its interior province, and the same for India with its landlocked provinces that only have access to the sea via Bangladesh or through a corridor that passes Guwahati in Assam. The author also put down some analysis on India's Look-East connectivity projects that look to connect Northeast India to East Asia and Southeast Asia and also China’s progressive approach of courting both the military junta and some ethnic armed organisations.
The future of Burma in relation to China and India is still unclear. But the author’s perspectives through his journeys and scholarly research are interesting to note, on the role of conflict resolution in Burma and how Burma could play a role as a crossroads between two growing influences in the region. Interestingly, the conflict resolution that the author imagines is not only about politics, but there are also economic dimensions to it as well. Caught between two large countries with different political systems (China, a country ruled by one party with limited political freedom but a growing influence in terms of economic growth, and India, a democracy that finds itself in a similar position with Burma in the Northeast with armed separatist rebels), Burma seems to be on the “crossroads” indeed. There are potentials, but also threats to consider from the relationships with both China and India, that are covered in balanced views on all grounds.
May 12, 2021
Great book on how Burma was used for thousands of years as a buffer for India and China, mainly through geography. But as the forests are being dismantled and terrain destroyed, China and India are getting closer to confrontation. Mainly by China’s taking territory from neighboring countries such as Burma and road building etc.
January 27, 2025
Un extraordinario libro sobre Birmania y sus relaciones pasadas y actuales con sus vecinos India y China. Hay una gran referencia a diferentes lugares de Birmania, pero también a las regiones que hacen frontera con Birmania, como son Yunnan en China o Assam en India.
Una mezcla brillante entre relato de viajes, experiencias personales y hechos históricos. Hay numerosas partes a lo largo del libro donde se conecta el pasado del imperio británico en Birmania e India y también las relaciones de ciertas dinastías chinas con Yunnan y las lejanas tierras birmanas.
Thant es probablemente el mejor escritor sobre Birmania, es una referencia imprescindible para aprender sobre uno de los países más complejos del continente asiático.
Tengo innumerables subrayados que me llevan a ojear mapas y aprender de algunos lugares tan remotos como fascinantes y complejos.
Espero regresar un día a Birmania. Deseo que al pueblo birmano le llegue la paz, la democracia y la prosperidad durante las próximas décadas.
Me ha gustado mucho el libro, me declaro muy fan de Thant.
Una mezcla brillante entre relato de viajes, experiencias personales y hechos históricos. Hay numerosas partes a lo largo del libro donde se conecta el pasado del imperio británico en Birmania e India y también las relaciones de ciertas dinastías chinas con Yunnan y las lejanas tierras birmanas.
Thant es probablemente el mejor escritor sobre Birmania, es una referencia imprescindible para aprender sobre uno de los países más complejos del continente asiático.
Tengo innumerables subrayados que me llevan a ojear mapas y aprender de algunos lugares tan remotos como fascinantes y complejos.
Espero regresar un día a Birmania. Deseo que al pueblo birmano le llegue la paz, la democracia y la prosperidad durante las próximas décadas.
Me ha gustado mucho el libro, me declaro muy fan de Thant.
October 17, 2011
Thant Myint-U's new book delves deep into Burma and it's relationship with neighbouring monoliths of India and China. Throughout history's tide the drama and complexity of these relationships has ebbed and waned. Myint-U does a good job of capturing this perspective while simultaneously backgrounding the development of the international borders we are more familiar with today and their implications.
As happenings around the perimeter of the Indian Ocean gain importance what happens in Burma will have a greater impact than many realise. Hopefully this jewel of Asia can reclaim that which has been most tragically lost.
Highly recommended to those with an interest in Asian history and future geo-political developments. The complexities of this fascinating country are conveyed with passion and admiral insight by the author.
Small niggle: the reader is not well served by the poor formatting of the included maps with the binding running through Burma on all three occasions.
As happenings around the perimeter of the Indian Ocean gain importance what happens in Burma will have a greater impact than many realise. Hopefully this jewel of Asia can reclaim that which has been most tragically lost.
Highly recommended to those with an interest in Asian history and future geo-political developments. The complexities of this fascinating country are conveyed with passion and admiral insight by the author.
Small niggle: the reader is not well served by the poor formatting of the included maps with the binding running through Burma on all three occasions.
July 5, 2019
Fascinating book about a part of the world that has a central place in current and future economic and geopolitical development. I realized again who eurocentric my history classes were when Thant Myint-U immersed me in this wonderfully written tale of Asian history. This book is not just about Myanmar, but also reveals great insights on China and on India. Written around stories and anecdotes of the author's travels in the region, it is a remarkably smooth read.
Recommended reading for those who want to gain a deep understanding on this region. However, the book was written in 2012 and does not hardly contain anything on the Rohingya crisis (they are mentioned only once in the whole book) and on recent political evolution.
Recommended reading for those who want to gain a deep understanding on this region. However, the book was written in 2012 and does not hardly contain anything on the Rohingya crisis (they are mentioned only once in the whole book) and on recent political evolution.
March 17, 2018
This is the third out of the four books I bought in Burma/Myanmar, and I recommend it if you're interested in the country and the surrounding region. Thant takes the reader to places that are barely more than a footnote in most history books and weaves them into a compelling narrative of common origins and a shared destiny.
April 24, 2012
I liked this one for its travel narrative aspect, though his premise that Burma will became a regional "player" seemed forced at times.
August 9, 2019
This book is a travelogue: the first third covers Thant Myint-U's travels through Burma; the second third, his travels through Yunnan province in China; and the final third, his travels in India - New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), and finally, India's northeast.
Burma borders Yunnan Province and India's northeast, and connects India and China. Because it also borders the sea, it might also end the isolation of the land-locked Yunnan province and India's northeast. China has invested more aggressively in Burma than India, and insurgencies in its northeast hinder India from increasing its influence in Burma.
For a map of Burma, visit my review of Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia.
I regard Kolkata as a second home, as my in-laws live there, and I resent the popular characterization of Kolkata as a poor god-forsaken city rescued only by a European nun (Mother Theresa). For this reason, I appreciate Thant Myint-U's chapter on Kolkata.
If Thant Mying-U's name sounds familiar, it is because he is the grandson of former UN Secretary-General U Thant.
Burma borders Yunnan Province and India's northeast, and connects India and China. Because it also borders the sea, it might also end the isolation of the land-locked Yunnan province and India's northeast. China has invested more aggressively in Burma than India, and insurgencies in its northeast hinder India from increasing its influence in Burma.
For a map of Burma, visit my review of Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia.
I regard Kolkata as a second home, as my in-laws live there, and I resent the popular characterization of Kolkata as a poor god-forsaken city rescued only by a European nun (Mother Theresa). For this reason, I appreciate Thant Myint-U's chapter on Kolkata.
If Thant Mying-U's name sounds familiar, it is because he is the grandson of former UN Secretary-General U Thant.
January 4, 2014
Part travelogue, part history, part commentary, this is an interesting book about a part of the world that is rarely in the news - Burma and the land-locked regions of north-eastern India and south-western China. There is a lot to learn about these regions in this book.
The difference between the development of the Chinese south-west and the Indian north-east is striking. Will India ever catch up? Similarly, although Burma has a long historical affinity with India and Indian culture, the Chinese seem to have much more influence in present-day Burma. The author clearly wishes India to increase its presence and influence in Burma.
The author seems cautiously optimistic about the future of this region based on the economic progress made by the rest of India and China.
The book is an easy read, but there is quite a bit of repetition.
The difference between the development of the Chinese south-west and the Indian north-east is striking. Will India ever catch up? Similarly, although Burma has a long historical affinity with India and Indian culture, the Chinese seem to have much more influence in present-day Burma. The author clearly wishes India to increase its presence and influence in Burma.
The author seems cautiously optimistic about the future of this region based on the economic progress made by the rest of India and China.
The book is an easy read, but there is quite a bit of repetition.
July 4, 2016
A travel memoir of a Burmese scholar about an interstitial regions between China and India. Recommended for readers interested in history of 'zomia' from a Burmese perspective. The book lacks rigorous historical research, most instances and examples are opinionated and emerge out of personal experience. A definitive recent history of Burmese politics and its shifting fortunes as the nation suffering from trade embargoes by the US and allies. Wedged between two mighty civilizations, Burma continues to adapt to new challenges. I was hoping to read more about the Muslim population of Burma, there are few pages about the Muslim dynasty in Yunan region, but largely stays aways from discussing the current conflict in detail.
August 3, 2014
Enjoyed both this one and river of lost footsteps, but at one point the author briefly mentions the horrific amount of human trafficking (specifically of burmese women) from burma to china as one of the negative aspects of the relationship between the two nations and then continues the list by stating that this enslavement of hundreds of thousands of women 'pales in comparison' to the environmental impact of the same relationship. As if the two are comparable. As if he gets to make the call. Fuck you.
February 16, 2013
While the author does a good job of analyzing the historic (economic, cultural) links of Burma to China and India, I think the book suffers from being published at the wrong time. The "past" sections of the book are interesting and useful. The "present" sections i found next to useless because of the rapid changes taking place in the country today. The author tries to make amends with both an Epilogue and (!) and Afterword. But still, all bets are off when it comes to the future of Myanmar.
January 24, 2015
The author makes a compelling argument that Burma is poised to become an important arena for the development of China and India's economies and foreign relations. Fantastic primer the history of the area that comprises Burma, its border with China, and what used to be the British Raj. The author is a great writer and infuses the right amount of drama/personality into what could've easily been a very dry book.
November 10, 2012
The book is divided into 3 sections: One on Burma itself and the other two on China and India respectively. It has plenty of historical and cultural references & anecdotes on how Burma, china and India were connected in the past and how the present is shaping the future of the three nations. It is a good read, though I was slighly unhappy with it's non-linear narrative
February 20, 2015
Great book! Learnt a lot about Burma and it's great frontiers with both India and China. Covers geopolitics and history but also analyses cultures (and ethnic conflicts)... first thing I've read that's close to a travelogue and I loved it. Really want to visit Burma now!
February 17, 2012
I couldn't put this book down. Excellent preparation for anyone going to Burma.
May 23, 2016
An important book for understanding what is going on in that area.
April 5, 2023
This book makes for a decent travelogue but an awful historical narrative. It glosses over so many factors that are important to the subject matter, and simplifies complex subjects as a pass/fail without really providing any nuance. The sly jabs at unsuccessful socialist policies serve as strong examples, where so many of such policies rely on trade with neighbouring nations - which cannot happen because of trade barriers put up by the West. The West also escapes unscathed because so much criticism was fired at the socialist movements within Burma for their modern day troubles, its just bad analysis of history. Burma isn't the only country in South East Asia that faced these issues, I encourage people to read The Jakarta Method for a more nuanced picture of what really took place in these countries.
November 6, 2022
It’s not like that I am particularly interested in Burmese history, it’s that the writer’s style of writing is so intriguing and gripping that I couldn’t help but reading more of his books. Few months ago, I read his most recent book ‘The Hidden History of Burma’ and was terribly mesmerized by his way of storytelling. I never thought a non-fiction history book could be such an enjoyable read! Thant Myint-U, grandson of former UN Secretary General U-Thant has a unique style of writing by blending history with memoirs, travelogue and personal tit-bits.
During Second World War, Winston Churchill was pushing America for allied support to protect Burma from Japanese invasion. Roosevelt then told Churchill, whilst sympathetic to Indian desire for independence, his view of the Burmese as “I have never liked Burma or Burmese! And you people must have had a terrible time with them for the past fifty years! I wish you could put the whole bunch of them into a frying pan with a wall around it and let them stew in their own juice.” More than 70 years has passed since then, Washington’s view about Burma is still almost same. Being the two topmost economic powers in the world and competitor, what did China found interesting in Burma that America has not found yet?
This book gives an answer to this important yet perplexing question.
Burma has a rich history of culture, ethnic diversity, natural resources and grandeur. Less than 100 years ago, during 1930s, Burma’s per capita GDP was at least twice that of China’s. It’s only after 1960 China has caught up and went ahead of Burma’s GDP. During the British Raj, Rangoon was a city considered as a rival of Singapore and even New York. Millions of people from India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand and other countries have migrated to Burma to have a better life. What happened to that Rangoon? Other than few colonial buildings, today’s Rangoon is a poorly planned, ugly looking and mostly muddy city compared to other megacities in the world!
Japanese invasion during Second World War, Independence from Britain, decades of civil war, strict sanctions from the west and military junta in the power made Burma poor, fragile and lonely. China took that opportunity of Burma’s loneliness and forwarded their hands of friendship towards Burma. But were those hands meant for friendship and support or for something else?
There is a board game in China similar to chess, known as weiqi. In this game, victory comes to the player who can surround the pieces of his opponent. Is China playing the weiqi with Burma by surrounding it in every way possible?
Due to the sanctions from the west, Burma is heavily dependent on China and India for trade. While Burma exports $1 billion worth of pulses and beans to India and imports few million worth of India’s pharmaceuticals; China exports $11.4 billion worth of products to Burma, on the contrary of Burma’s $5.7 billion export to China. This huge trade gap is one of the important factors of inequality in business. Burma was known for its natural resources, especially oil (when oil was not found in Arabia and Persia, Burma was a significant producer of oil), natural gas, petroleum, Jade etc. After 1950s, when the oil fields ran dry, military junta didn’t bother to explore further, same was the case for natural gas. Most of the gas fields in Burma were explored by offshore companies mostly from China. In early 2000s, a total of 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserve was found in Burma (research suggests that it could rise up to 90 trillion cubic feet). Several big companies from India, China, Thailand and South Korea lined up to develop the fields, export the excess gas through a pipeline and win the share of profits. After years of opaque negotiations, South Korea was about to get that opportunity, but in 2006 United Nations Security Council made a resolution that put immense pressure on military junta to sit and have a discussion with Aung Sun Suu Kyi and condemned junta’s human right records. Military junta became worried; China stepped in and vetoed the resolution. And after that, guess what? China got the work-order and now the new gas pipeline would be built to China. What a strategy!!!
Other than natural gas, another important natural resources of Burma is Jade. Fortunately or unfortunately almost all of the jade mines of Burma are owned by China and China’s market of Burmese Jade is worth of more than $4 billion.
Upper Burma’s Shan Hills and Kachin Hills are the home of various endangered animals and species, rich in bio-diversity and also a great reserve of famous teak wood.
Despite of being one of the world’s largest economies, province based per capita income is very different in China. Whereas Hong Kong and Beijing’s per capita income is $44,000 and $18,000; Yunan and Guizhou’s (next door to Burma) per capita income is only $3,400 and less a year. The reason for this huge income gap is lack of a port. China’s almost all of the rich cities are situated near port area. Central China and the provinces bordered with India and Burma is comparatively poor as it is very difficult for them to do sea-based trade. Burma is a significant backdoor of Yunan and few other provinces of China to get access to Burma’s Akyab(now Sittwe) and Rangoon port; it is more feasible and less costly to use these port rather using China’s own ports. May be for this reason or God know what, millions of Chinese from Yunan and other provinces migrated to Burma through land borders of Kachin and Shan hills and started living there literally permanently, cutting millions of trees, hunting endangered species, eating them and exporting their skins, bones and other parts for making and selling as exotic foods in various Chinese restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai and others. In early 2010s, special wines, made of tiger bone from Burmese hills were sold in Beijing at $88 per bottle!
From Mandalay to Lashio along the famous ‘Burma Road’ most of markets and malls are mainly dominated by cheap Chinese products as if nothing has ever been produced in Burma! The ‘Wa region’ in Shan hills is dominated by Chinese rather than Burmese ethnic and Wa has the largest private army in the world with state-of-the art arms and ammunitions. Despite being a part of Burma, Wa people uses China’s telephone and internet frequency. Whereas someone can barely find a new model Toyota car in the streets of Rangoon (Other than few government owned car), Wa is full of Land cruiser and SUVs. Miami style bungalows, highways, multi storied buildings and hotels in Wa region seems like a far away dream to the normal Burmese people.
Irawaddy and Salween are the two prime rivers in Burma, in which millions of people’s lives are dependent; And Salween has been listed one of the pristine river in the world. China has recently negotiated an agreement of 7.1 gigawatt (further raised to 20 gw) hydropower station across the Salween. Burma will be benefitted from some of the new electricity but at what cost?
Is china being just a responsible neighbor or grasping everything within its reach? Will Burma become a province of China, or will it manage to use India as a balance?
This book answers almost everything anyone can ask about China-Burma relationship.
Strongly recommended for any history enthausiast.
During Second World War, Winston Churchill was pushing America for allied support to protect Burma from Japanese invasion. Roosevelt then told Churchill, whilst sympathetic to Indian desire for independence, his view of the Burmese as “I have never liked Burma or Burmese! And you people must have had a terrible time with them for the past fifty years! I wish you could put the whole bunch of them into a frying pan with a wall around it and let them stew in their own juice.” More than 70 years has passed since then, Washington’s view about Burma is still almost same. Being the two topmost economic powers in the world and competitor, what did China found interesting in Burma that America has not found yet?
This book gives an answer to this important yet perplexing question.
Burma has a rich history of culture, ethnic diversity, natural resources and grandeur. Less than 100 years ago, during 1930s, Burma’s per capita GDP was at least twice that of China’s. It’s only after 1960 China has caught up and went ahead of Burma’s GDP. During the British Raj, Rangoon was a city considered as a rival of Singapore and even New York. Millions of people from India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand and other countries have migrated to Burma to have a better life. What happened to that Rangoon? Other than few colonial buildings, today’s Rangoon is a poorly planned, ugly looking and mostly muddy city compared to other megacities in the world!
Japanese invasion during Second World War, Independence from Britain, decades of civil war, strict sanctions from the west and military junta in the power made Burma poor, fragile and lonely. China took that opportunity of Burma’s loneliness and forwarded their hands of friendship towards Burma. But were those hands meant for friendship and support or for something else?
There is a board game in China similar to chess, known as weiqi. In this game, victory comes to the player who can surround the pieces of his opponent. Is China playing the weiqi with Burma by surrounding it in every way possible?
Due to the sanctions from the west, Burma is heavily dependent on China and India for trade. While Burma exports $1 billion worth of pulses and beans to India and imports few million worth of India’s pharmaceuticals; China exports $11.4 billion worth of products to Burma, on the contrary of Burma’s $5.7 billion export to China. This huge trade gap is one of the important factors of inequality in business. Burma was known for its natural resources, especially oil (when oil was not found in Arabia and Persia, Burma was a significant producer of oil), natural gas, petroleum, Jade etc. After 1950s, when the oil fields ran dry, military junta didn’t bother to explore further, same was the case for natural gas. Most of the gas fields in Burma were explored by offshore companies mostly from China. In early 2000s, a total of 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserve was found in Burma (research suggests that it could rise up to 90 trillion cubic feet). Several big companies from India, China, Thailand and South Korea lined up to develop the fields, export the excess gas through a pipeline and win the share of profits. After years of opaque negotiations, South Korea was about to get that opportunity, but in 2006 United Nations Security Council made a resolution that put immense pressure on military junta to sit and have a discussion with Aung Sun Suu Kyi and condemned junta’s human right records. Military junta became worried; China stepped in and vetoed the resolution. And after that, guess what? China got the work-order and now the new gas pipeline would be built to China. What a strategy!!!
Other than natural gas, another important natural resources of Burma is Jade. Fortunately or unfortunately almost all of the jade mines of Burma are owned by China and China’s market of Burmese Jade is worth of more than $4 billion.
Upper Burma’s Shan Hills and Kachin Hills are the home of various endangered animals and species, rich in bio-diversity and also a great reserve of famous teak wood.
Despite of being one of the world’s largest economies, province based per capita income is very different in China. Whereas Hong Kong and Beijing’s per capita income is $44,000 and $18,000; Yunan and Guizhou’s (next door to Burma) per capita income is only $3,400 and less a year. The reason for this huge income gap is lack of a port. China’s almost all of the rich cities are situated near port area. Central China and the provinces bordered with India and Burma is comparatively poor as it is very difficult for them to do sea-based trade. Burma is a significant backdoor of Yunan and few other provinces of China to get access to Burma’s Akyab(now Sittwe) and Rangoon port; it is more feasible and less costly to use these port rather using China’s own ports. May be for this reason or God know what, millions of Chinese from Yunan and other provinces migrated to Burma through land borders of Kachin and Shan hills and started living there literally permanently, cutting millions of trees, hunting endangered species, eating them and exporting their skins, bones and other parts for making and selling as exotic foods in various Chinese restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai and others. In early 2010s, special wines, made of tiger bone from Burmese hills were sold in Beijing at $88 per bottle!
From Mandalay to Lashio along the famous ‘Burma Road’ most of markets and malls are mainly dominated by cheap Chinese products as if nothing has ever been produced in Burma! The ‘Wa region’ in Shan hills is dominated by Chinese rather than Burmese ethnic and Wa has the largest private army in the world with state-of-the art arms and ammunitions. Despite being a part of Burma, Wa people uses China’s telephone and internet frequency. Whereas someone can barely find a new model Toyota car in the streets of Rangoon (Other than few government owned car), Wa is full of Land cruiser and SUVs. Miami style bungalows, highways, multi storied buildings and hotels in Wa region seems like a far away dream to the normal Burmese people.
Irawaddy and Salween are the two prime rivers in Burma, in which millions of people’s lives are dependent; And Salween has been listed one of the pristine river in the world. China has recently negotiated an agreement of 7.1 gigawatt (further raised to 20 gw) hydropower station across the Salween. Burma will be benefitted from some of the new electricity but at what cost?
Is china being just a responsible neighbor or grasping everything within its reach? Will Burma become a province of China, or will it manage to use India as a balance?
This book answers almost everything anyone can ask about China-Burma relationship.
Strongly recommended for any history enthausiast.
March 15, 2012
The book was a quick read and not as dry as I anticipated, but I was sorely disappointed that Burma was covered in only one third of the book, with the other two thirds being dedicated to China and India and a focus on the two's history. I liked that the book was current, in that it covered events through 2011, but the overall focus was certainly on the past and read mostly like a history book with bits of narrative woven in between. It was a bit disjointed in how he moved from random travel essay to political observer to historian all in one book. I found the travel narratives interesting, but too sparse. He also did not seem to flush things out once he goes there. For instance, he sometimes states the price of the food and hotel rooms, but what he pays is far beyond the reach of the average townfolk, so I am left wondering -- did he want to pay for the best of the best? Do they just scalp visitors because they know they can afford it? Why mention the prices if not in context of if they were high or low to their comparatives? They essentially should not have been included without providing a context. If one knew nothing about Burma they would be left thinking hotels are $50/night and coffee is $2/each when a teacher actually only makes $30/month and most have a wage of $2/day. I had two other peeves. One was that the maps at the beggining were bound right down through Burma to make them unreadable, which may no sense and two, the author oddly kept bringing up the sexual practices of the various indigenous populations, but without much purpose or context. I wasn't sure if it was because he hoped to entertain the reader and "sex sells" but it seemed altogether out of place and questionable. Overall I would say the book was a good history of Burma if that is what you are looking for.
March 7, 2016
This book is a mixture of travelogue, history and political speculation written by the son of the former Burmese Secretary General of the UN. Starting from Burma (Myanmar) itself, the author travels through the country and then visits neighbouring Yunnan in China and parts of Northeast India. The tone is conversational but the book is informative and particularly strong on the aggressive influence of China, which was encouraged by the West's isolation of the military regime. A clear case is made for the importance of this crossroads of Asia, which is providing China with a backdoor to the Indian Ocean. The northeast of India will also benefit from access to the ocean through Myanmar, but India is shown to be playing catch-up in respect of relations with the country in comparison with China, although historically it had a stronger presence.
The book was first published in 2011 and, notwithstanding an Afterword added in April 2012, does not take account of the recent historic election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National Democratic League and the acceleration in opening to the West. Nonetheless the historical account remains relevant and helps explain the tensions in the relationships between key players in and outside the region.
One quibble is with the inadequacy of the maps. While they serve to locate Burma at various points during its history, the scale is far too large to provide indications of key locations. In order to clearly understand the importance of e.g. Riuli, on the frontier between Yunnan and Myanmar, I resorted to detailed maps on my tablet.
The book was first published in 2011 and, notwithstanding an Afterword added in April 2012, does not take account of the recent historic election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National Democratic League and the acceleration in opening to the West. Nonetheless the historical account remains relevant and helps explain the tensions in the relationships between key players in and outside the region.
One quibble is with the inadequacy of the maps. While they serve to locate Burma at various points during its history, the scale is far too large to provide indications of key locations. In order to clearly understand the importance of e.g. Riuli, on the frontier between Yunnan and Myanmar, I resorted to detailed maps on my tablet.
March 25, 2012
Full of fascinating information and descriptions of places I've never been and know little about. The author knows Burma and China very well, and the first two sections of the book immerse the reader in descriptions of tribal history, with lots of colorful anecdotes, and the way things are currently, and where rapid change might lead. The India section feels less confident - perhaps because, as he states, he doesn't have the same deep experience there, or because he's trying to cover so much in such a small section of book. It was difficult trying to keep up with all the tribal kingdoms in northwest India, but when I finished I did feel like he'd explained the continuing unrest there fairly well.
Overall a very enlightening survey of the area, an excellent mix of history and travel and current economic changes. The speculation on what the future will bring to the area was interesting to think about. Taking off most of a star because I spent a lot of time being annoyed by the terrible maps at the front of the book, with insufficient labels and most of Burma being lost in the crack of the spine. When I'm reading about a distant part of the world, I want a decently-labeled map I don't have to fight the book-binding to see!
Overall a very enlightening survey of the area, an excellent mix of history and travel and current economic changes. The speculation on what the future will bring to the area was interesting to think about. Taking off most of a star because I spent a lot of time being annoyed by the terrible maps at the front of the book, with insufficient labels and most of Burma being lost in the crack of the spine. When I'm reading about a distant part of the world, I want a decently-labeled map I don't have to fight the book-binding to see!
September 16, 2017
It's coincidence that I read 'Where China Meets India' just a few weeks before the late summer 2017 spate of news stories about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people by Myanmar's ruling military junta. However, there could hardly have been a better introduction to the geopolitics of that region or to the pitiful history of the Rohingya than Thant Myint-U's cogent summary of the history, politics and culture of Myanmar/Burma and the superpowers with whom it shares borders.
I've read extensively on India, but little on Myanmar and virtually nothing on China, so Thant's discussion of China's growth, global role, and political objectives were very informative for me. Likewise, his analysis of U.S.-Myanmar relations was thoughtful and sobering. If I had a caveat with the book, it would be that there's some duplication a good editor would have taken out (I think I read about the new oil pipeline three times, possibly four) but I felt this was minor.
No doubt there are others with more detailed knowledge of these countries who can critique Thant's book better than I. But for someone like me, seeking a primer on Burmese relationships with China and India, the book filled the bill very successfully.
I've read extensively on India, but little on Myanmar and virtually nothing on China, so Thant's discussion of China's growth, global role, and political objectives were very informative for me. Likewise, his analysis of U.S.-Myanmar relations was thoughtful and sobering. If I had a caveat with the book, it would be that there's some duplication a good editor would have taken out (I think I read about the new oil pipeline three times, possibly four) but I felt this was minor.
No doubt there are others with more detailed knowledge of these countries who can critique Thant's book better than I. But for someone like me, seeking a primer on Burmese relationships with China and India, the book filled the bill very successfully.
December 30, 2014
This is my third books written by Thant Myint-U and is also probably the best book I have read written by him. He is undoubtedly a great writer and has the unique skill of bringing to life long forgotten events.
It's also a part travelogue and part history of Burma, China and India. The best part of the book is that it combines a history of Burma with travelogues from Northeast India and Southwest China. As Thant Myint-U observes, these regions are both important for Burma yet often get left out of the conventional accounts of Burma. He argues that Burma's future is tied to its geography and that Burma's place in between the rising giants of India and China will dictate its economic development. I have no doubt that we would come to witness that Burma will play an important geopolitical and economic roles in the next twenty years.
This book is a great read for armchair travelers or readers just getting interested in Burma. This book gave me an inspiration to travel to the areas that I have never thought of wanting to travel.
All in all, it is a good book to read and can be recommended to anyone with a keen interest in this part of Asia.
It's also a part travelogue and part history of Burma, China and India. The best part of the book is that it combines a history of Burma with travelogues from Northeast India and Southwest China. As Thant Myint-U observes, these regions are both important for Burma yet often get left out of the conventional accounts of Burma. He argues that Burma's future is tied to its geography and that Burma's place in between the rising giants of India and China will dictate its economic development. I have no doubt that we would come to witness that Burma will play an important geopolitical and economic roles in the next twenty years.
This book is a great read for armchair travelers or readers just getting interested in Burma. This book gave me an inspiration to travel to the areas that I have never thought of wanting to travel.
All in all, it is a good book to read and can be recommended to anyone with a keen interest in this part of Asia.
March 18, 2019
Parts a bit outdated now, but mmm!! Was it satisfyijg to read through the histories/interconnectrdness of all the border locales Ive been able to work or travel through during my time here in asia, across all three countries (and esp parts on upper myanmar, to read abt things id so far observed and learned only through myanmar friends/colleagues' retellings). I feel likr TMU got lost in his own travelreminiscin in second section on china tho lolss #selfindulgence... wouldve liked to see more of the book connect back to analysis vi myanmar, and of the three country political tangofest... but overall Im glad I put this book off until now, when Ive managed to traverse through (almost) all the border regions mentioned in this book (subconscious choice or not who knoes). 4D coming alive of sorts, adding layers of depth to some of the palces and frjends of communities ive come to hold much dear. More thoughts.. hmm.. anyway, want 2020 updated version of this book
August 4, 2017
I started reading the book after the great trip to Myanmar, connecting with an old local friend. Most of the feelings about the country are met, in that way I suppose the book to be a travelogue. I am satisfied after all to understand the vast historical, cultural and economical logic behind the current Burma. Some parts of the book are going a bit out of focus, as it gives a miniature of India and China. The section of India is not as ruch as China's, possibly due to the author intention. Nevertheless, as a dummy in this facet, it is worth a reading to explore the basic knowlegde of all three.
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