State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi promised that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Myanmar will undergo proper scrutiny. The comments were made during a meeting with members of the Steering Committee for Implementation of the BRI in Nay Pyi Taw, according to an article in The Irrawaddy. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi heads the committee. She emphasized the need “to make sure that the selected projects are in conformity with national plans, policies and domestic procedures”. She added that Myanmar’s location also means that the country “needs to participate” in the initiative. The BRI was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The aim is to build a network of roads, railroads and shipping lanes that would transform global trade. However, critics of the ambitious project have expressed concern that it is part of efforts by Beijing to further increase its power on the global stage. In September last year, the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) agreement was signed, as part of BRI. The plan is to develop major infrastructure projects across Myanmar, including in Yangon, Mandalay and Kyaukphyu, in Rakhine State. Myanmar’s BRI steering committee has 25 members, including 18 Union ministers, five chief ministers, as well as the permanent secretary for foreign affairs and the chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council. The committee members plan to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Development in Beijing in April.