The Burmese general leading the coup army met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a two-day summit on the Mekong region. Chinese statements show attention to infrastructure projects threatened by civil conflict. An issue that Beijing also discusses with the militias that control the borders and the rare earth trade.
Yangon (/Agencies) – For the first time since the civil war began in 2021, the head of the Burmese military junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, traveled to China and in the last two days participated in the sub-region summit of the Greater Mekong. In reality, it was an opportunity to also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and discuss the ongoing conflict.
Accompanied by officials and figures from the business world, the general, head of the coup army that overthrew democratic president Aung San Suu Kyi, landed on Tuesday in Kunming, Yunnan province, which shares a border with Myanmar, to participate in the summit, where The heads of government of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were also present.
After the offensive launched a year ago by a group of ethnic militias to reconquer the border territories with China, fear had spread within the ranks of the army that Beijing wanted to stop supporting the military junta. In reality, China militarily supports the coup army, but it also has some influence over the different armed groups that make up the resistance, especially those that live along the borders.
His main interest, however, remains Chinese projects and investments in Burmese territory: “China supports Myanmar to carry out reconciliation and political transformation and is willing to work with Myanmar to steadily advance the construction of the economic corridor.” China-Myanmar, within the framework of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation,” said Premier Li, as reported by the chinese media.
The Chinese statement also said the two sides agreed to “strengthen cooperation in the fields of education, culture and tourism, enhance local exchanges, and jointly combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling and online fraud.” the telecommunications sector. The issue of online scam hubs proliferating along the border is another issue on which Beijing had asked the Burmese junta to intervene.
The Burmese state newspaper Global new light of Myanmar is even more precise about the statements of General Min Aung Hlaing, who stated that “Myanmar will work with China to obtain help in the economic and technological fields, as well as to improve collaboration and energy security with the aim of developing the country. The “Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukpyu railway section project will begin in areas where possible,” he says, referring to one of the Chinese projects that are part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The project should connect the city of Kunming (where the summit was held) with the port of Kyaukpyu, from where an oil pipeline departs, in the opposite direction, that will allow China to supply oil from Middle Eastern countries, avoiding passage through the Strait of Malacca. When the railway is built, a series of other goods will also be able to reach China through a shorter route.
Only in the report of the Burmese generals is there any reference to the peace talks with the three militias (the MNDAA, the TNLA and the AA) that launched the offensive against the army, accused of having violated the ceasefire established in January with Chinese mediation: “The door of peace is always open if you really want peace. Armed insurgents should do what needs to be done instead of prioritizing their needs and wants. Furthermore, the MNDAA, the TNLA and the AA should carry out clear and specific actions for peace so that dialogue can materialize. Stability and development in border areas are crucial for regional and country-wide development, and only stability can promote cooperation in the economy and trade. Therefore, illegal trade, the mainstay of armed insurgents on the borders, must be completely eradicated. “Border trade plays a key role, and direct payment in yuan-kyat is in operation.”
The Burmese statement also cites Chinese support for the elections that the junta has announced for next year, although it is not clear how they will play out, considering that the army controls only a fraction of the national territory.
Resistance groups are also concentrating on the reconquest of strategic cities for mining production that, in many cases, contributes to financing the regime. The TNLA occupied the mining town of Mogok, near Mandalay, and earlier this month the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) (another militia fighting the Burmese junta) conquered Chipwi and Tsawlaw, mining centers rich in rare earths that exploit local ethnicities and China.
The KIA also occupied the town of Pangwa after the armed group’s political representatives met in mid-October with Deng Xijun, China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, who reportedly urged the militia to end resistance against the regime. military. After receiving a negative response, China suspended exports that pass through areas controlled by the KIA, which in turn announced the creation of a team to manage mining operations.
After China and the United States, Myanmar ranks third in the world in rare earth extraction. However, the Southeast Asian country lacks refining capacity, so most minerals, especially those needed for the production of electric cars, are sold to Chinese companies. According to Global WitnessMyanmar’s rare earth exports to China increased from 19,500 tons in 2021 to 41,700 tons in 2023.
In August last year, the suspension of tin mining operations in Wa State caused prices to rise, and many experts fear that prolonged disruptions to trade in other important minerals could cause problems for Chinese production and favor Beijing’s new interventions in Myanmar. With the sole purpose of keeping the economy going.
Add Comment