CHINA IS redoubling its efforts to secure its position in Burma, which is hugely important because of its strategic geographical position and its wealth of natural resources. There are also signs that ties between Burma and Washington are getting warmer.
China’s premier Wen Jiabao looks set to visit Burma next week for a summit of Mekong River countries, while its ambassador to Burma recently met democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in the first reported meeting between one of the regime’s biggest backers and the high-profile opposition leader.
Since 1962 Burma has been run with an iron fist by a military junta, but since last year it has started to open up at a rate that has surprised many. It freed Ms Suu Kyi after years of house arrest, allowed her party to take part in elections and to free most of, if not all, remaining political prisoners.
There was no official confirmation of Mr Wen’s visit but the flurry of activity shows that China is keen to cement its close ties to the country, which was renamed Myanmar by the junta in 1989.
During Burma’s 50 years of military rule and resultant tightening western sanctions, China played a central role in propping up its government and in return was given access to Burma’s natural resources. Bilateral trade rose more than half last year to €3.4 billion and China’s investment reached €9.5 billion in 2010.
In September Sino-Burmese relations were rocked by Burma’s decision to suspend construction of a €2.7 billion dam project, the unpopular Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River. The dam was being built by Chinese companies and would supply electricity mostly to Yunnan province in neighbouring China, and displace thousands of Burmese villagers.
The move was read as an overture to Washington, something that has rattled China, which does not want a resource-rich country on its borders cosying up to the US. Relations between Burma and the US peaked with this month’s landmark visit by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. During her visit Ms Clinton met President Thein Sein, as well as Ms Suu Kyi, and the trip highlighted just how important a strategic geopolitical position Burma occupies.
Ahead of the visit China worked hard to shore up relations with Burma. Vice-president Xi Jinping met the head of Burma’s armed forces and called for stronger ties. “The friendship, forged by leaders of the older generations, has endured changes in the international arena,” Mr Xi said.
Moe Kyaw, managing director of MMRD market research, emphasised the importance of links with China, despite the end of the dam project. “The dam is not cancelled, it is suspended. They have the gas pipeline, they are looking at the railway to Kunming (in Yunnan in China). We are doing everything not to be taken as a province of China. But China is giving cheap loans,” he said.
Hla Min, a senior member of Ms Suu Kyi’s party, the National League of Democracy, stressed repeatedly how important China-Burma relations were. “China has been our brother and neighbour since the very beginning, we share land. And China will be our brother and our neighbour until the very end,” she said.
“America is our friend, but it is very far away. China is helping us a lot. Nobody says they don’t like the people who help them.”
Burma’s hope is that Washington will ease the sanctions holding it back, and the US special envoy to Burma, Derek Mitchell, said: “There is no intent of the United States in its relationship with Burma to have any certainly negative influence on Burma-China relations,” he said.
Film censorship:
further draconian laws drafted
CHINA IS continuing to tighten censorship with a raft of draconian new laws which require that films must not harm national honour, incite race hatred, spread “evil cults” or superstition, propagate obscenity or encourage gambling, drug abuse, violence or terror.
The Film Industry Promotion Law bans 13 different categories; the government says it is aimed at maintaining social stability.
The timing of the new censorship rules ahead of an expected leadership change next year is also significant, while the vague terms of the law mean it can be used widely to ban any films the ruling Communist Party does not like.
Films can also be banned for inciting resistance or destruction of the constitution, national law and regulations; any efforts to incite religious fanaticism and harm religious harmony or impinge on people’s right to worship.