 |
| President U Thein Sein (second left) and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao (left) in Beijing on May 27. Pic: AFP |
June 6 - 12, 2011
MYANMAR has opened “a new chapter” in its relations with China, President U Thein Sein declared at the end of his three-day official visit to Beijing last month.
The close relationship was upgraded to one of “multi-strategic cooperation”, the president said on May 28, after the two countries also signed a series of trade agreements and memorandums of understanding.
In a seven-point joint statement on the upgraded strategic partnership, China reaffirmed its respect for Myanmar’s “pursuit of its development path suited to its national conditions”, while Myanmar agreed to adhere to the “one China policy”, under which Taiwan is considered an “unalienable part of the Chinese territory”.
The May 27 statement also committed the two sides to maintain close high-level contacts, enhance exchanges and cooperation between parliaments, governments, judicial departments and political parties and further increase economic cooperat-ion. Both sides agreed to strengthen border manage-ment cooperation and strive to maintain peace, tranquillity and stability in border areas, the statement said.
The visit further under-scored China’s emergence in recent years as Myanmar’s chief political and economic ally. Dr Renaud Egreteau, a research assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, said it was of “crucial importance” in terms of establishing the legitimacy of Myanmar’s new government.
“Finding international legitimacy while strength-ening existing ties with immediate neighbours is a logical policy for a new administration,” Dr Egreteau told The Myanmar Times by email last week. “The diplomatic trips of U Thein Sein in Jakarta last month and Beijing few days ago are a logical outcome of the regime’s current regional needs.”
He said both the West and ASEAN exerted only “minimal” influence on China’s relations with Myanmar, which are mostly confined to “strictly bilateral issues”, such as ethnic stability in border areas, the safety of the Kyaukpyu-Yunnan oil and gas pipeline, consolidation of Chinese investments and the expansion of the trade.
“China needs a stable and pacified Myanmar south of its booming Yunnan province, and the Chinese leadership, hoping to secure its assets and stakes there, certainly bets on the new civilian government led by U Thein Sein to maintain stability.”
Speaking on May 28, Chinese President Mr Hu Jintao said his country would “protect” Myanmar’s interests and also support its quest to take up the ASEAN chairmanship in 2014.
– Translated by Thit Lwin
Source:http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/578/news57811.html
Comments
Post a Comment