Linn Maung
China has never wavered in its support for the junta since its Feb. 1, 2021 coup d’etat, and is now stepping up its engagement with the generals in Naypyidaw. Chinese companies do not act accountable and prioritize their own benefits, neglecting the interests of the locals. Beijing is adhering to its diplomatic modus operandi of non-interference in the sovereignty of the nations with whom it trades.
China invested more than U.S.$113 million in Myanmar between the coup and February 2023, making it the second-largest foreign investor in the country. However, the Burmese people see Beijing’s engagement as solely focused on its own bottom line and are keeping score. In the first quarter of 2023, Beijing and Naypyidaw have greenlit multiple China-led projects in Myanmar, including three wind power projects and a hydroelectric power station. China is focusing on salvaging its trade agreements and implementing economic corridor projects since reopening its borders.
Beijing is likely working to speed up its cooperation with the junta through local authorities in Yunnan province, while avoiding contact between top leaders. The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) has reported that China has a positive view of Myanmar’s economic development and is preparing investments in agriculture, seafood and meat production industries. Members of the public in Myanmar have expressed wariness over China’s growing investment in the country, saying it has made their lives more difficult. Anti-junta groups have targeted foreign-backed infrastructure through which the junta profits, saying such funds are used by the military to attack the people of Myanmar.
The junta has been brutally oppressing the people of Myanmar, and any nation that does business with them will face public backlash.
China’s overreach in Myanmar following the coup is equally the fault of the international community.The West’s withdrawal of significant investments in the energy sector has allowed China to finally expand once the restrictions were lifted.China filled the void created by the Junta’s demand for money generation. In essence, the demand-supply equation became fixed.
#MekongNews
