February 1, 2023
2 mins read

‘Beijing extends diplomatic, military support to Myanmar junta’

Even militarily, China had extended its support to Myanmar. In December 2021, China provided Myanmar with a ‘Ming-class’ diesel-electric submarine….reports Asian Lite News

Despite strong civilian resistance, the military junta still controls Myanmar and China has also extended diplomatic and military support to the army leaders, Europe Asia Foundation reported.

The junta takeover in Myanmar will complete its second year in February and in those time periods State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior civilian leaders were arrested and also witnessed support from China. According to an intergovernmental not-for-profit organisation, Myanmar saw a wave of protests and all sections of Myanmar society participated in it. The demonstrations have morphed into an armed struggle against the military in the past two years.

And in such a situation, China’s support came as a relief for the Myanmar Junta. Immediately after the coup, the Chinese official media played down the political developments as nothing more than a cabinet reshuffle in which a set of “new union ministers [was] appointed for 11 ministries while 24 deputy ministers were removed”. This raises pertinent questions about China’s interests in the political developments of Myanmar, the report said.

Beijing extended diplomatic support to the Myanmar military. For instance, in April 2021, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, in his interactions with his Thailand and Brunei counterparts, urged ASEAN members to ‘fend off external interference’ and ensure a ‘soft landing’ of the situation in Myanmar, as per the report in Europe Asia Foundation.

Moreover, while the rest of the international community hesitated to interact with the military known as Tatmadaw leadership, in 2021, Myanmar’s foreign minister travelled to China to interact with his counterpart. Subsequently, in July 2022, China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, attended the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) meeting in Myanmar.

Even militarily, China had extended its support to Myanmar. In December 2021, China provided Myanmar with a ‘Ming-class’ diesel-electric submarine. At the moment, there is no clarity if the Myanmar navy has agreed to the conditionality of allowing the presence of Chinese technicians onboard.

Even the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, in his report, noted that China, along with others such as Russia, has transferred weapons systems to Myanmar “with the full knowledge that they would be used to attack civilians”.

Understandably, China’s sustained diplomatic and military support to the Tatmadaw aggravated the anti-Chinese sentiment in Myanmar, Europe Asia Foundation reported.

Notwithstanding this growing anti-Chinese sentiment in Myanmar, it is unlikely that Beijing will scale down or alter the trajectory of its engagement because Myanmar is a vital land route to access and increase the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region. Further, the Tatmadaw dependence on China’s diplomatic and military support considerably expands Beijing’s influence in continental Southeast Asia. (ANI)

ALSO READ: UN chief condemns mosque blast in Pakistan

Previous Story

Peshawar death toll mounts to 100

Next Story

Afghan girls urge Taliban to let them sit for exams

Latest from -Top News

India-EU Trade Talks Resume

The proposed India-EU FTA covers 23 policy areas, or chapters, of which at least two – market access and rules of origin – have yet to be resolved….reports Asian Lite News India

India Launches Relief Ops in Bhutan

The Royal Government of Bhutan has expressed sincere gratitude to the Indian Army…reports Asian Lite News Amid unprecedented floods caused by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, relentless rainfall has

Jaishankar Hints at Tariff Deal with US

Jaishankar explained that the ongoing trade tensions largely stem from the inability of both sides to reach a common ground on several issues….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Washington advices Beijing amid Ukraine tensions

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims by the United States and

Jack Ma’s surprise Pak visit creates stir among observers

Jack Ma during the visit, avoided interactions with government officials