In December 2007, during the inaugural session of international trade center at Nampong town at the India-Myanmar border, Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh indicated that his Ministry would be lobbying for the reopening of Stilwell Road by 2010. Stretching from Ledo in Assam to Kunming in southern China via Myitkyina in Myanmar, the road connects India's northeastern states with China's southern province of Yunnan. Reopening of the road link can transform the economy of Northeast India by reducing the time, cost and distance involved in trade with China and Southeast Asia. Therefore, the Chief Ministers of some northeastern states, Assam in particular, have been demanding the reopening of this road.

The Indian side of the Stilwell, stretching from Ledo in Assam to Pangsau Pass in Arunachal-Pradesh was built in October 1942 during World War II under the supervision of Commander Joseph Stilwell. However, it was closed after the war due to security reasons. China has expressed its interest in reopening the Stilwell Road and has already developed the Chinese stretch of the road linking it with its Super Highway No. 320. China is also involved in the development of various segments of the Stilwell Road in Myanmar too. A 100km stretch from Tengchong in Yunnan to the Warshoung in Kachin state of Myanmar was completed in April 2007. Another 224km segment from Myitkyina in Kachin to Tengchong is expected to be completed in March 2008. China is also assisting the rebuilding of a stretch of Stilwell road between Danai to Myitkyina in Kachin State of Myanmar. The Rangoon-based Yuzana company has got the contract to complete the project.

Thailand is also interested in the reopening of the Stilwell Road and Thailand's Deputy Industry Minister Piyabutr Cholvijarm, had during his visit to India in January 2008 appealed to New Delhi reopen this road. However, India and Myanmar have not been very eager about the reopening of Stilwell. In 2004, during his visit to Assam, Kyaw Dun, the Burmese Director of Border Trade rejected the idea of reopening Stilwell road and favoured identifying other routes in order to develop trade linkages between India and Southeast Asia. The military junta in Myanmar has remained reluctant about the Stilwell because it passes through the Kachin State where the junta does not exercise effective control.

Despite undertaking the repair work on its side of the road, India is still in a dilemma over the reopening of the Road believing that this would only enable greater inflow of illegal arms and drugs and increased insurgent activities in the troubled region of Northeast. This happened, for example, after the opening of India-Myanmar border between Moreh and Tamu. Apart from security concerns, India's skepticism is also based on the fear that opening of Stilwell Road would turn the northeastern states into dumping grounds for cheap Chinese goods. India's fear of Chinese dumping is further strengthened by the increasing Sinicization of northern Myanmar's Kachin and Shan states and Mandalay Division after the opening of the border between Myanmar and China.

However, the governments of the Northeast Indian states perceive the issue of opening the road in a different way. They are not worried about the Chinese and even want to repeat the success story of Yunnan through the development of integrated regional infrastructure. However, due to the lack of consensus between India's central government and the Northeast governments no significant progress has been made over this issue.

Enhancing connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asia is the core element of India's Look East Policy, India is thus, involved in several ongoing and potential infrastructure projects linking its Northeast with mainland Southeast Asia such as Tamu-Moreh-Kalewa Road (India-Myanmar Friendship Road), India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, Trans-Asian Highway, India-Myanmar rail linkages, Kaladan Multimodal project and so on. However, it seems that the reopening of Stilwell road has not been a priority in India's agenda to enhance connectivity with Southeast Asia. India has preferred other projects bypassing China in this regard because there is still a trust deficit between the two Asian giants due to unresolved border conflict and both have miles to go to develop a sufficient level of mutual understanding. As a result, India remains skeptical about opening borders with China.

Therefore, getting the consent of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defense regarding the opening of Stilwell Road would be a challenging task for the Ministry of Commerce. And apart from existing divergent views between the central government and the northeastern states, a potential inter-Ministerial conflict may emerge in the times to come during future discussions on opening the Stilwell Road. Against this backdrop it is difficult to predict whether Jairam Ramesh's verbal assurance will be actualized or not or for how long the reopening of Stilwell will remain at a standstill. Due to the huge cost of rebuilding this road and the fear of enhanced Chinese influence in its socially and politically vulnerable northeastern part, it will not be easy for Ramesh to develop consensus among the other concerned Ministries in this regard.