An exclusive report by Reuters revealed on Thursday that Myanmar has scaled back plans for a Chinese-backed port on its western coast, sharply reducing the cost of the project after concerns it could leave the Southeast Asian nation heavily indebted. Late last year, The New York Times reported that Sri Lanka had formally handed over the strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease as part of a debt payment to Chinese firms, in a deal that government critics have said threatens the country’s sovereignty. Writing for the South China Morning Post, Andre Wheeler argues that Western critics overlook the holistic and long-term benefits that China’s multilateral infrastructure investment program brings to countries like Myanmar.