The Tyranny of Distance: Geoeconomic Power Competition Between China and Japan in Myanmar

China and Japan have long been actively competing for influence in Myanmar. Common discussions often analyse the development of China–Myanmar and Japan–Myanmar relations from historical, political, diplomatic and economic perspectives, focusing on the dynamic changes in power competition between major powers. However, existing research often fails to fully explain the nature of geoeconomic power competition, especially when considering geographical relationships. To fill this gap, this article constructs a novel analytical framework based on existing literature that clearly distinguishes between the nature and types of geoeconomic power while emphasising the significant impact of geographic relationships, particularly distance. The research findings indicate that China has a significant advantage in geoeconomic competition with Myanmar due to its adjacent power to the country. Not only does China play a key role in influencing peace processes and border trade in Myanmar, but it also promotes the construction of the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor through strategic projects such as Kyaukphyu Port, effectively expanding its influence in the Indian Ocean region. In contrast, although Japan wields substantial economic influence in Southeast Asia, its resolve in Myanmar’s geoeconomic competition has generally been difficult to match China’s due to differences in geoeconomic power.