The long oil supply lines feeding the Chinese economy from Africa and the Middle East are viewed in Beijing as a strategic weakness. The majority of Chinese oil imports currently must pass through the Malacca Straits, a traditional trade choke point and favorite of modern pirates. In an effort to address these concerns, China has considered building pipelines across Myanmar and Thailand. The Thai project, which would have bisected the Kra Isthmus, now appears to be defunct, but the Myanmar option remains viable. In the meantime, China has utilized Thailand as a source of refined oil products for shipment up the Mekong to Yunnan