This idea is not entirely new. The Kunming Initiative of the 1990s later developed into the concept of the Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, which envisioned connecting Kolkata, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Kunming in China.
However, tensions in India–China relations, ongoing border disputes, India’s objections to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Myanmar’s political instability effectively stalled the BCIM project. The proposed China–Myanmar–Bangladesh Economic Corridor can therefore be seen as an alternative, a scaled-down version, or a reconfigured successor to BCIM, one in which India is currently absent, though it remains a geographically affected stakeholder.
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How could this be implemented? Potentially in three stages.
First, by developing existing and planned infrastructure from China to Myanmar: the Yunnan–Muse–Mandalay–Kyaukphyu route, including roads and railways, pipelines, power plants, and ports.
Second, by establishing connectivity between Myanmar and Bangladesh: through the Rakhine–Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar–Matarbari region, via Teknaf or overland routes, or through maritime port links.
Third, by strengthening Bangladesh’s internal economic integration: incorporating Chattogram, Matarbari, Payra, Mongla, Dhaka, Sylhet, northern Bangladesh, and the country’s industrial zones into a regional supply chain.