The high-level Burmese military launched a coup and detained President Wen Jingmin and Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, which attracted international attention. According to US media analysis, despite the frustration of Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratic image, she is still an important ally of the United States. The incident shows that as China’s strength increases, the United States no longer has the moral authority or economic and political means to formulate a normative agenda in the region. Biden’s verbal condemnation did not work, and he must think about how to prevent him from falling to China.
China and Myanmar have good relations, Biden faces a dilemma
Bloomberg pointed out that the commander-in-chief of the Burmese National Defense Forces Min Aung Lein faced charges of genocide and was sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for his suppression of the Rohingya. At the same time, Beijing expressed respect to him. When Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the 64-year-old general last month, he praised the “Paukphaw” friendship between the two countries and described the Myanmar army as its mission of national rejuvenation. The key to the U.S. strategy against the rise of China is to build support from Asian countries.
The White House threatened that if the military does not change its course, the United States will take action; Democratic senator Bob Menendez, the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for “strict economic sanctions” against Myanmar military leaders. But Biden faced a dilemma when formulating countermeasures, that is, how to punish Myanmar’s military generals without harming the people.
In contrast, China’s response was flat. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called Myanmar a “friendly neighbor” and urged all parties to properly handle differences within the constitution and legal framework to maintain political and social stability. In addition, China will still proceed cautiously and avoid doing anything that might alienate Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters. Wang Yi met with Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit last month and talked about how the two countries can strengthen coordination and cooperation.
As of the end of last year, China was the second largest investor in Myanmar, after Singapore, with an approved amount of US$21.5 billion. China accounts for about one-third of Myanmar’s total trade, more than 10 times that of the United States.
Biden should consider strategic layout, not pure moral condemnation
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that many Western countries have condemned and called on the authorities to resolve disputes through dialogue and democratic procedures, and demanded the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and others. The United States has even expressed its consideration of restarting sanctions. Compared with the statements of other countries, China only expressed its hope that all parties in Myanmar maintain political and social stability. The Washington think tank believes that China is using this to maintain good relations with the Myanmar military in order to develop diplomatic relations in the future.
The Biden administration threatened to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar again, fearing to harm the people of Myanmar, and even push Myanmar further toward China. The irresponsibility of Western countries will make Myanmar believe that China is a more reliable partner.
The primary foreign policy of the U.S. government in Asia should be to restrict China’s control of independent countries like Myanmar, especially those countries with strategic positions in the Indo-Pacific region; if the U.S. allows Myanmar to embrace China, the U.S. influence over Myanmar will inevitably decrease. When Washington responds to the military coup, it must consider its Asian strategic layout rather than purely moral condemnation.
Editor in charge: Chen Jianxi
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