Burmese Daze
Top diplomat Wang Yi wants to reassure Myanmar’s junta that China is a hands-off friend.
On Wednesday, Wang met with senior Myanmar leaders in Naypyidaw.
Some context: Since 2021, Myanmar’s ruling junta has been fighting a civil war against a loose confederation of ethnic rebel groups.
- In recent months, the rebels have made significant territorial gains, threatening the junta’s grip on power.
The conflict in Myanmar has been a massive headache for China:
- Instability along the border has allowed transnational crime to flourish.
- More than once, stray artillery shells have killed and injured Chinese citizens inside China.
Before Wang’s trip, China's foreign ministry (MoFA) released a statement saying (SCMP):
- “China strictly follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs [and] supports Myanmar’s effort to uphold stability.”
Wang told his counterparts China supports Myanmar’s efforts to “maintain independence, sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity” and “find a path to long-term peace and stability” (People’s Daily).
Get smart: Beijing isn’t happy with the junta’s bungling, but its continued support for the regime is rooted in its own anxieties about ethnic separatism and the possible foreign interference it would invite.
- We expect China to enhance efforts to broker a political solution between the warring parties.