Myitsone’s Dangerous Return: Does Beijing Need the Dam?

After the coup, isolated from the international community and barred from ASEAN summits, Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing secured its first major diplomatic breakthrough when he was granted a meeting with Xi Jinping in August last year.

One of the key incentives the regime brought to the table was clear: the revival of the Myitsone Dam—a project suspended for over 14 years following strong nationwide opposition.

Beijing’s response, however, was cautious. China signaled it would wait for a “stable political timeframe” before moving forward. The regime, by contrast, proposed restarting the project after elections, framing it as a post-electoral development initiative.