Jiang Zemin Arrives in Rangoon
By Aung Zaw
The Irrawaddy (13-12-01)
December 13, 2001- Chinese President Jiang Zemin's arrival yesterday to Rangoon is a historical milestone for Sino-Burmese relations. Jiang's decision to visit Rangoon indicates that China is keen to retain its position as the most influential foreign power in Burma and remain one of Burma's few allies.
The official visit may mean little to Burmese citizens but it certainly gives Burma's military regime's international image a much-needed boost. China's recent induction into the World Trade Organization [WTO] also bodes well for Burma's lackluster economy.
Sino-Burmese relations have gained greater attention since the brutal suppression of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising by Burma's military government. Since then China has become a major arms supplier to Burma and the two countries have subsequently strengthened their relationship. Sino-Burmese relations, however, have a history that dates back decades.
M.C Tun or U Chit Tun, a well-know Burmese journalist who died recently, wrote in 1973 in the Far Eastern Economic Review that, "Burma has had many 'firsts' with China: it was the first nation outside the Communist bloc to recognize the People's Republic (1949), the first to conclude a Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Non-Aggression, the first to achieve a boundary settlement with China (1961), and one of the first to patch up relations with Peking after the Cultural Revolution."
Since the 1950s, Chinese and Burmese leaders have reciprocated state visits to one another and a Pawphaw or fraternal relationship has endured. Burma's recent reliance on China, however, has more to do with trade and economics than maintaining fraternal bonds.
Since the military government took power in 1988 Burma has been seen as a pariah state in the eyes of many governments that have offered little in terms of economic support. "The generals needed a friend and it was China," said a veteran Rangoon-based analyst. "It was a marriage of convenience."
Although Jiang's visit will no doubt boost the junta's image, the generals are quite different now than they were thirteen years ago. According to the analyst, "They now have more friends and they have been trying to return to the world community."
For one, Burma is now a member of Asean and over the last three years Burma's top leaders have not only been carrying out visits to other Asean countries but have taken a number of international visits as well. Burma's top brass traveled to numerous East Asian countries including India and Pakistan. Burma's Foreign Minister Win Aung also visited Cuba, Russia and Yugoslavia last year in hopes of establishing much-needed friendships abroad.
Observers note, another reason for China's recent visit is the active foreign policy with New Delhi that Burma has been cultivating. In the early 1990s, Burma was not happy with India. India was openly condemning the regime for its recent crackdown and was offering political asylum to Burmese dissidents who had fled to the Indian border. In 1996, New Delhi, however, became concerned with China's increasing influence in Burma and has since silenced its open condemnations of the regime and has been trying to improve relations with Rangoon to counter the Chinese. As a result relations between Rangoon and New Delhi have normalized.
India and Burma share over 1,600 kilometers of border and have been exchanging official visits for the last six years and the two armies have also pledged to improve military cooperation along the border.
"Before, Burma had only one friend. Now it has more and this makes the Chinese nervous," an analyst in Rangoon commented. Thus, he said Burmese analysts in Rangoon were not too surprised to see president Jiang in Rangoon. He also said in the past, "(Burma) had little choice but to embrace the Chinese. Now they have more options." Burmese leaders now know how to play the regions two largest countries off each other.
More interestingly, Burma's search for arms and supplies has also been diversified. Burma last year turned down US $1 million in credit from Beijing for military purchases. Rangoon said they were not happy with earlier deliveries and complained about the quality of Chinese systems. However, Rangoon's air force still receives training in Beijing.
Meanwhile, back in Rangoon, many residents are aware of the Chinese leader's presence and are impressed with China's prosperity and modern technology. "There are Burmese who want their country to follow China's economic policy," said the analyst. "We have been living in poverty for decades and we have to learn to change."A businessman in his fifties on Rangoon's Merchant Street said, "What I hope is that our leaders can learn from China's prosperity and economic reform. We need to get rich."
Last year, when Maung Aye, Burma's second-in-command, was in Beijing, he told Chinese leaders that Burma wanted to follow China's lead and open up to the world.The Burmese merchant continued, "I will say 90% of people here (in Burma) do not care about democracy but they want to survive and live without worrying about tomorrow."