Myanmar youth reap rewards from China-Myanmar cooperative projects

After being in operation for several years, the China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline has helped to improve the lives of many people in Myanmar as well as create many opportunites for local youth.

The China-Myanmar Oil and Gas pipeline, which stretches across four provinces in Myanmar, serves as an important energy artery for the country. Khant Nyar, who has the Chinese name Mao Shuai, is a graduate of Mechanical and Electronical Engineering. He’s been working on the project since 2012.

“The reason I chose to work here is that there was no oil and gas pipeline transmission technology in Myanmar, I wanted to learn this kind of knowledge.”

At first, Khant Nyar didn’t know much about how these kinds of pipelines worked, and he didn’t speak any Chinese. Fortunately, the project offered him the opportunity to study Chinese at Yangon University of Foreign Languages. Khant Nyar was also given training at China Southwest Petroleum University on the technical aspects of pipeline operations. He now works alongside a Chinese supervisor at the Mandalay Branch of China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline Project.

Khant Nyar is also a member of the team that patrols the pipeline non-stop all year round. Safety is top priority for the project. That’s why there is a team of professional engineers and ground staff who patrol the more than one-and-a-half thousand kilometers of pipeline.

“People aren’t allowed to plant trees, set fires, or build fences in certain areas surrounding the pipelines. Some local residents don’t understand why, so we have to explain it to them in detail to gain their understanding and support.”

The China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline, which stretches across four provinces in Myanmar, serves as an important energy artery for the country. [Photo: ChinaPlus]

So far, the project has created millions of jobs. And the China National Petroleum Corporation has as well donated tens of millions of U.S. dollars for the construction of schools, clinics, and water supply systems for the rural communities living alongside the pipelines. And natural gas is delivered to a power plant in Kyaukphyu, which has helped to ease the electricity shortage and brought down the cost of power in local communities.

Global Times