Myanmar should focus on ‘benefits from China ties’
By Li
Xuanmin
The
relations between China and Myanmar are closer now than ever before, and the
Southeast Asian country should think of how it can benefit from such closer
ties rather than seeing relations with China in defensive
terms due to big power games, a former Myanmar government advisor told the
Global Times in an exclusive interview.
The
comment was made ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s scheduled state visit
to Myanmar on January 17 and 18. Myanmar society is showing high expectations
and a warm welcome for Xi's visit.
“It will
be a historic visit as bilateral relations between China and Myanmar are at an
inflection point. Where the two sides will go over the coming few years may
well decide not only Myanmar’s future, but also the future of [Asia],” Thant
Myint-U, renowned Myanmar historian, former government advisor and former
United Nations (UN) official, told the Global Times.
Thant
Myint-U is the grandson of U Thant, the third Secretary-General of the UN from
1961 to 1971. U Thant had made a significant contribution to helping the People’s
Republic of China regain its lawful seat in the UN in 1971. He had argued for
China’s legal membership and also welcomed the voting result in favor of China
later in 1971.
During
the interview, Thant Myint-U could clearly recall his grandfather’s firm
resolve in helping restore China’s membership in the UN as a principle of the
UN's “universality” and how Myanmar has built a strong connection with China
since then.
Now,
China-Myanmar relations are becoming multi-dimensional, “partly because of the
friendly government ties” and the integration of the two economies,
particularly in border areas where China and Myanmar share a nearly
2,000-kilometer-long borderline that is virtually open, Thant said.
Xi’s
visit will bring the bilateral relations into a new era. During Xi’s state
visit, he will meet with Myanmar President Win Myint, State Counselor of
Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar’s Armed Forces Min
Aung Hlaing, China’s Foreign Ministry announced.
As
Myanmar’s foreign policy is also shaped by geopolitical consideration and power
balancing games, Thant stressed that the Southeast Asian country should “see
more clearly where it wants to be,” and more importantly, “not see relations
with China in defensive terms,” but think about how it can take advantage of
being a neighbor to the world’s second-largest economy.
So far,
some of infrastructure projects under the
Belt and Road Initiative have been suspended due to local protests as a
result of environmental concerns and instigations from Westerners. Thant
explained that as Myanmar is in midst of numerous transitions, an extremely
defensive nationalist reaction could easily be inflamed among local people.
But he
urged Myanmar to judge Chinese firms’ projects with a long-term vision and
examine how an economic relationship with China could better contribute to the
local development.
“China
and Myanmar are still very far from the kind of familiarity that’s needed to
ensure the right relationship going forward,” Thant said. He added that people in
Myanmar know very little about Chinese history and culture at the current
stage.
He
called for more people-to-people exchanges between China and Myanmar so as to
forge a better understanding and build mutual trust between the two countries.
Source:Global Times
Thant Myint-U,
renowned Myanmar historian, former government advisor and former United Nations
(UN) official. (Photo: courtesy of Thant Myint-U)
Myanmar should focus on ‘benefits from China ties’
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