Myanmar jade industry gathers dust despite China-led boom

Local processors say they cannot compete with rivals across the border

20170717 jade myanmar

Miners search for jade stones at a Hpakant mine in northern Myanmar's Kachin state, the site of recent deadly landslides.

THUREIN HLA HTWAY and YUICHI NITTA, Nikkei staff writers

NAYPYITAW -- The jade mining industry in Myanmar, one of the world's richest sources of the gem, is scrambling to meet rising Chinese demand, sometimes at the cost of human lives.

Yet this booming trade has not translated into growth beyond the dangerous work of extraction. In fact, Myanmar's jade processing industry has languished, mainly owing to a lack of capital.

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