A little give, a little take
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi is known for human rights and democracy. She is a Nobel Prize laureate and won the award in 1991. However, her record on the Rohingya Muslims is not yet appealing. Suu Kyi is now Myanmar’s Foreign Minister and State Counselor after forming the NLD Government last year.
She undertook a five-day visit to Beijing on 17 August in a bid to seek much active ties with China, Myanmar’s powerful neighbor. Although she is not head of the government, China rolled out a red carpet welcome and given a guard of honor at Beijing upon her arrival, an unusual gesture. This is her first non-ASEAN member state visit. Earlier, she paid her first three visits to Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Her visit to Beijing reflects a significant change of posture. She might be giving indication that her Government will not work as tool of other powerful countries in the region but will be interested in cultivating its own independent ties with big and major powers. Besides China, she will visit the United States, France, and Germany. Her itinerary also includes North Korea.
Myanmar ties with China witnessed some seesawed. She was upset of China’s ties with the military junta in the past. This time she was on a repairing mission. China was her first priority after ASEAN. She thought of discussing ties and issues with China before meeting the American leadership. Analysts called here visit to China as a landmark and an historic breakthrough. The normalisation was started when she visited Beijing last June and met with President Xi Jinping.
Myanmar is developing a pragmatic foreign policy and balanced relations with neighbors and powerful countries especially striking a balance between China and the United States. She has been successfully recalibrating country’s foreign policy.
Myanmar is a bridge between South East Asia and South Asia. China is its close neighbor and a development partner. During the Cold War, Myanmar eschewed from complicated military and political alignment when South East Asia was markedly divided and taking sides in a bi-polar world.
The NLD foreign policy looks neutral. Suu Kyi has hinted out that her country is not seeking an alliance with the United States or any other country. China also wants Myanmar to choose it own independent foreign policy. Suu Kyi is pursuing a prudent and a pragmatic foreign policy approach.
For Myanmar, in repairing of ties, China’s role in bringing peace in northern Wa border is crucial where ethnic groups such as Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army fight with Myanmar army, and building of infrastructural projects dominated talks of Suu kyi with Chinese leaders.
Myanmar has always been a focus of China’s attention. Myanmar ties with China have been fast moving. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was the first Foreign Minister invited by the NLD Government.
Even a non-ASEAN Myanmar was the focus of China’s diplomatic and geo-economic attention. More inroads were made between them after Myanmar became an ASEAN member in 1997. China built an energy corridor between southern China and Kyaukpyu Port.
China is the largest trading partner Myanmar as well as its investor. The Chinese initiative of the Belt and Road is drawing attention as Myanmar is at the crossroad of South East Asia and South Asia. Myanmar is fast becoming an important part of China’s Maritime Silk Road diplomacy in East Asia. Myanmar connects China with the Indian Ocean.
Suu Kyi needs more economic help from China. She wants to boost economic cooperation with China. China is key focus of Myanmar’s development. China proposes more land trading routes to Myanmar. China realises the need of physical infrastructure to uplift the economy of impoverished Myanmar. The Chinese-assisted US$ 3.6 billion Myitsone Dam that entertained constraints after 2011, has the chance for resumption.
Suu Kyi wants China’s help in resolving conflict with an ethnic Chinese group with the military in the northern Yunnan on border with China. Earlier this year, China offered US$ 3 million to kickoff the peace process initiated by the NLD Government. To end this conflict, China has been playing a role. It would play a crucial role in holding the Panglong conference to be held on 31 August.
China holds magic of resolving Myanmar myriad issues though China does not want to interfere in its domestic affairs. It looks that Beijing will render all services to Myanmar happily in a mutually cooperative manner under the changed circumstances between the two countries.
Suu Kyi visit to Beijing would also have positive regional implications. The warming of China-Myanmar ties are also warming of China-ASEAN ties. There might some positive impact on the controversial issues being contested in the South China Sea these days.
