Wheeler, Matthew

Abstract
Over the last decade, China has devoted particular attention to developing its interests in the Mekong region, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
A major facet of China’s strategy, giving form to China’s enhanced role in Southeast Asia, has been its investment in transport infrastructure development with the construction of links between China’s southwestern Yunan Province and the Mekong region. Some of these routes have been completed and others are due to be finished soon. These links complement the establishment of a free trade agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and could help bring the Mekong region within a Chinese sphere of influence.
Furthermore, mainland Southeast Asian infrastructure linkages to markets and sea lanes of communication offer China strategic depth and are vital to China’s prospective maritime geo-strategic posture. In the long-term, development of multimodal transport links and energy infrastructure through the Mekong region, especially in Myanmar, could offer China access to the Indian Ocean and secure supplies of oil, carrying implications for China’s power-projection ambitions and energy security.