Linn Maung
China has started making attempts to carry out Xi Jinping’s vision for the Global Cultural Proposal. Finding out why China prioritised this in Myanmar, a country where stability is an issue, or whether China believes that a military dictatorship can assist them in carrying out this idea, is interesting. In order to demonstrate the strength of Sino-Myanmar relations, the China Cultural Centre in Yangon recently hosted a seminar on the topic and invited prominent figures from all areas of life. However, it appears that everything was planned and scripted. At the event’s inauguration, Pan Feng, a representative of the Chinese Embassy, emphasised the goals’ advantages.
China is well aware that its BRI plans are failing, either as a result of a debt trap or an exploitative strategy. China has been developing plans to maintain the projects in order to protect its existing investments. Xi’s Global Cultural Proposal was created to address the backlash. Without a doubt, Sinicization of Tibet has been successful, but it is difficult to replicate such schemes globally.
In light of that country’s unstable political environment, China has decided to launch a global cultural proposal in Myanmar. Second, China is aware that the Junta is under some pressure to accept it.
It seems absurd that China, a nation notorious for violating human rights, stifling dissent, engaging in cultural erasure, is spearheading such a plan. Instead of preaching to the world, China should put such ideas into practise itself. Had China ever given Tibetans or Uyghurs a chance to express their identity and faith as part of a worldwide cultural proposal.
China continues to use the faultlines in the other regions and has already turned the northern part of Myanmar into its dominion. Cultural exchange programmes and student scholarships are excellent tools for transforming the underprivileged, and this is what is happening in Myanmar. Therefore, Global Cultural Proposal is merely old wine in a new bottle.
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