China-Burma-India relations

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Description: Remembering the Forgotten Theater of World War II 65 books and other articles
Source/publisher: CHINA - BURMA - INDIA (CBI)
Date of entry/update: 2010-10-12
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Welcome to my Site ! Let me introduce myself. As a French researcher in International Relations, I have been working for the last 7 years on geopolitics in Asia, with a special focus on India and Burma (Myanmar). In December 2006, I successfully defended my Ph.D Dissertation (Political Science, Asian Studies) at the Institute of Political Science, Paris, France : "India, China and the Burmese Issue : Sino-Indian Rivalry through Burma/Myanmar and its Limits since 1988" (with distinction). You will find in this website a glimpse of the works I have done so far on those issues (articles, publications, fieldworks) as well as some links and contacts which could be of interest on these matters. Enjoy the visit "... Dr. Renaud EGRETEAU
Source/publisher: Renaud Egreteau
Date of entry/update: 2007-06-27
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: Francais, French, English
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Description: "Myanmar is on the brink of collapse. Its armed forces are continuing a brutal crackdown—arresting, torturing and killing protesters—as Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de-facto leader, is detained. Our experts answer your questions..."
Source/publisher: The Economist
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-16
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Description: "As Burma strategically lies at the crossroads of the Indian subconti- nent, southwestern China, the Indian Ocean and the rest of continental Southeast Asia, both an emerging India and a rising China have found increasing interests in this regional node since the end of the 1980s. The changing of guards in Rangoon through a military coup d’état orchestrated by a younger generation of Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) officers in September 1988 indeed offered the two giants an opportu- nity to refocus their regional strategic ambitions on Burma. A new dimension of the Sino-Indian rivalry was thus highlighted and many academic researchers pointed out the rise of the strategic competition between Beijing and New Delhi through Burma throughout the 1990s. Almost two decades after the beginnings of the Chinese thrust into the Burmese strategic field and India’s gradual reaction to it, this article seeks to assess the state of the rivalry between the two giants in Burma. By focusing the analysis on the perceptions, interests and achievements of India and China’s approach to Burma on the ground in the past 20 years, it seeks to question the severity and intensity of this Sino-Indian “competition” in the Burmese field. It is argued here that despite having realized obvious breakthroughs in the region, India and China still face many difficulties in Burma, and are unable to openly use it as a mere playground for their bilateral “rivalry.” After a brief discussion of the academic literature that has dealt with the rise of the rivalry since the early 1990s, this paper will explore the most visible expressions of this Sino-Indian contest in Burma. The energy and military sectors, tensions in border areas and the quest for a strategic access to the Indian Ocean are the most crucial factors, but it will be postulated hereafter that each has its own limits. Given internal divisions, hesitations, misreadings or misperceptions in New Delhi and Beijing, as well as the nationalist stance of the Burmese military regime, this article will claim that the Sino-Indian competi- tion over Burma must not be overestimated. Indeed, the Burmese field itself offers considerable resistance to the further thrust of India and China in the region, limiting the phenomenon to a mere “quiet rivalry.” The Rise of a “Strategic Rivalry”: Perceptions and Interpretations of Indian and Chinese Policies toward Burma since the 1990s When a new Burmese junta (SLORC2 ) succeeded the autarchic military regime of General Ne Win in September 1988, Beijing and New Delhi adopted two different approaches to the developments in Burma. After a decade of tense relations in the 1960s, China had clearly redefined its Burma strategy according to its national and security interests, through a more friendly policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping’s visit to Rangoon in January 1978. A few years later, with a landmark academic article published in 1985 by the official Beijing Review, 3 China unveiled its economic and military ambitions in Burma and had only a few more years to wait before taking the opportunity to fully implement them. When the SLORC, ostracized by the international community after its harsh repression of the pro-democracy movement during the summer of 1988, indicated its willingness to establish a new partnership with Beijing, China swiftly filled the vacuum left by international donors and regional powers. Confirmed after the Tiananmen Square repression by the official visit to China by General Than Shwe (then the SLORC’s Vice-Chairman) in October 1989, the new Sino-Burmese partnership enabled China to gain a sound strategic foothold in Burma within just a few years..."
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Source/publisher: India Review via Routledge (London)
2008-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-18
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Sub-title: India has recently stressed increasing ties with its neighbors, and stronger ties with Myanmar are key to that strategy
Description: "On June 1, 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the Shangri-La Dialogue formally announced his country’s Indo-Pacific policy. He also said that India advocated an independent, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific system in the region. At the same time, major steps were taken to strengthen relations with the US, Japan and Australia through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. It is important to note here that India had been avoiding connecting the Quad directly to the Indo-Pacific. The Indian government also tried to end the skepticism of the Southeast Asian countries by calling for the Indo-Pacific policy to keep New Delhi’s “Act East” policy and ASEAN countries at the center. However, Indian policymakers soon realized that if the Indo-Pacific regional system was to materialize, then faster and bigger steps would have to be taken. In November 2019, during the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok, Modi announced the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. Recently, this was once again glimpsed when External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka from January 5-7, where he insisted on promoting cooperation between India and its neighbors under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. There is no doubt that despite the difficulties and ups and downs, India’s cooperation with every country in South Asia, except Pakistan, has increased..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2021-01-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-12
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Description: "Myanmar has decided to expedite India-backed infrastructure projects and widen security ties with India as it seeks to balance China's expanding presence in the country in the backdrop of Beijing's active cross-border support for rebel groups and push for early completion of BRI projects. Myanmar’s all-powerful generals, who have controlled the country for decades, are upset with the Chinese strategy of arming rebel groups, including Islamic radicals. They are also upset with China's pressure on Myanmar to implement Belt-Road-Initiative (BRI) projects in spite of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, ET has learnt China is planning a China-Myanmar-Economic Corridor (CMEC), on the lines of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), to get access to the Bay of Bengal and the eastern part of the Indian Ocean Region. Several other BRI related projects threaten to push Myanmar to a debt trap. Speaking to journalists in Russia last month on the occasion of Victory Day parade, commander-in-chief of Myanmar armed forces Senior General Min Aung Hlaing called for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying that terrorist groups exist because of “strong forces” Many analysts in Myanmar say Gen Hlaing’scomment was targeted at China, which the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) suspects is continuing to provide arms to rebel groups on the Myanmar-China border and to the ArakanArmy (AA), which is now operating in northern Rakhine state as well as the radical ArakanRohingya Salvation Army. The general's comments broadly reflects the sentiment among the top military leadership of the armed forces in Naypyitaw, ET has learnt.Interestingly the comments were made in Russia -- Myanmar's old defence partner..."
Source/publisher: "The Economic Times" (India)
2020-07-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-09
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Sub-title: Myanmar has accused a “foreign country” of arming the nation’s rebel groups, including the Arkan Army (AA). Hinting at China’s active role, Myanmar has alleged that Beijing is supplying sophisticated military weapons to create insurgency in the nation.
Description: "It is reported that Brig Gen Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) has stated that a “foreign country” is behind the Arkan Army, which is a declared terrorist organisation. He reasons his claim by citing an incident from 2019 where modern technologies were utilised by Arkan Army, in mine attacks on the military in Rakhine state. It was also revealed by U Min Zaw Oo, the executive director of Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security that a majority of the weapons used by Myanmar ethnic armed groups operating near the Chinese border are made in China..."
Source/publisher: "The Eur Asian Times"
2020-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-30
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Description: "Myanmar's foreign trade reached over 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months of the present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday. From Oct. 1, 2019 to May 22, 2020, the export value registered over 11.5 billion U.S. dollars while the import value was over 13 billion U.S. dollars. The country's trade deficit of present FY was over 1.52 billion U.S. dollars, up from over 874 million U.S. dollars compared to the corresponding period of the last FY. During the eight-month period of the current fiscal year, Myanmar's manufacturing goods were exported with value of over 5.98 billion U.S. dollars while over 5 billion U.S. dollars worth of capital goods were imported to the country, the ministry's figure showed. Myanmar's agricultural products, animal products, marine products minerals, forest products, manufacturing goods and others are exported while the country imports capital goods, intermediate goods and consumer goods. About 80 percent of the country's foreign trade is done through sea route and its border trade is conducted with neighboring China, Thailand, Bangladesh and India..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2020-06-04
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-04
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Sub-title: India and Myanmar have built new strategic links as both seek to counter China's rising regional influence
Description: "Flights out of Myanmar have been rare during the Covid-19 crisis, but there was a remarkable exception on May 14. A special plane provided by the Myanmar military flew from the small town of Hkamti in Northern Sagaing Region to Imphal in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur and then on to Guwahati in Assam. Onboard were 12 Manipuri insurgents and another ten from Assam. The Myanmar military was handing them over to Indian authorities in an equally unusual gesture of goodwill. Seen in a broader perspective, it reflects the Myanmar military’s policy of diversifying its foreign contacts and lessening its long-standing dependence on China for security and arms. It now takes on added strategic significance as China and India mount troops along their contested northern border, bringing the long-time rivals closer to conflict than they have been in years. Myanmar could thus soon be pushed and pulled in countervailing directions as that big power tussle over territory plays out. Myanmar is firmly stuck between the two Asian giants. Indian insurgents have maintained sanctuaries inside Myanmar since the late 1960s. From there, they have often launch raids into states like Nagaland, Manipur and Assam and then retreat back safely across the border beyond the reach of Indian forces..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-05-29
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-30
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Sub-title: Arakan Army's winning insurgency is foiling India's grand plan to counter China's strong and rising influence in Myanmar and beyond
Description: "Against the ominous question mark hanging over Myanmar’s remarkable encounter with COVID 19 – no recorded cases to date — it’s easy to view the country’s ethnic conflicts as mere off-stage business-as-usual. In western Myanmar, an area that brings India and China’s strategic interests face-to-face, that would be a serious mistake. Whatever the toll of the virus in the coming months, the sharp deterioration of the military situation in Rakhine and neighboring areas of Chin state will shape in a far more profound sense both Myanmar’s political future and India’s plans to push back against growing Chinese influence. The gravity of the crisis was plain to see on March 10 and 11 when the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, suffered its most stinging reverse to date at the hands of the Arakan Army (AA), the most aggressive of a range of ethnic forces demanding autonomy after seven decades of centralized Bamar-dominated misrule..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-03-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-03
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Sub-title: Indian and foreign media may have missed it but the US-India joint statement will most certainly be scrutinised closely by Beijing for anti-China content.
Description: "Both the Indian and foreign media coverage of US President Donald Trump’s India visit went on and on about his mention of Delhi riots and Pakistan – but almost entirely overlooked the reference to the Blue Dot Network, which has given rise to growing unease in Beijing. The mellifluous language of the joint statement centres on a ‘Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership’ tick boxing the expected military, space, and energy cooperation, as well as concern about the high debt situation in developing countries and the need for “responsible, transparent and sustainable financing practises”. That’s diplomatic language to refer to the dire situation faced by countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives due to heavy debts to China.The next few lines refer to the Blue Dot Network as a “a multi-stakeholder initiative that will bring governments, the private sector, and civil society together to promote high-quality trusted standards for global infrastructure development”. That might seem rather tame, but here’s the carrot. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects that infrastructure development needs in the Indo-Pacific alone could be worth about $1.7 trillion per year through 2030. That’s what the Chinese are after. And now it seems, everyone else wants a slice of the pie, and the influence that goes with it..."
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Source/publisher: "The Print" (India)
2020-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-03
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Sub-title: China’s overseas projects funded by debt from its own infrastructure banks are now viewed with trepidation, by both recipient countries for the potential debt trap.
Description: "Global business and strategy analysts will be watching with keen interest any attempts US President Donald Trump makes to convince India to join its ambitious plan to counter China’s ‘Silk Route’ programme of port and highway constructions. Last November, the US, Japan and Australia unveiled the ‘Blue Dot’ infrastructure network, ostensibly to certify and promote infrastructure development, but in reality, it was to take on China’s BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) that is currently building a chain of roads and ports connecting most of the world to Beijing. The Western alternative has been in the making for some time as nations have voiced alarm at the cheque-book diplomacy of China through its BRI projects and their security ramifications. Soon after Blue Dot’s launch, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross lost no time in pointing out that American direct investment into Asia had topped $1.6 trillion and that “our numbers will only get bigger”. It was quickly noted by China’s Global Times, which said, “Although China was not mentioned by name, it’s widely suspected that Washington’s new plan is directed against the China proposed BRI.” China’s pique is natural as analysts say Blue Dot could be backed with funding by Japan’s JICA and America’s newly founded International Development Finance Corporation and Ausaid, not to mention a host of global development finance windows backed by the West..."
Source/publisher: "The New Indian Express" (India)
2020-02-25
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-25
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Description: "The rhetoric of “standing up” to China, showing Pakistan “its place,” and protecting “every inch” of national territory are powerful, and intertwined, drivers of modern India’s foreign policy.2 The 2017 Sino–Indian military standoff in Doklam at the Bhutan tri-junction reified some of these narratives as the crisis re-focused attention on (a) the risk of active conflict between the two powers over an unsettled border dispute and (b) India’s management of relations with smaller neighbors in light of strategic rivalry with China.3 Indeed, China’s expanding economic footprint in South Asia as part of the Belt-and-Roads Initiative (BRI) has increased stress on India to compete with Beijing for maintaining strategic influence over its smaller neighbors.4 Throughout the Doklam crisis, which occurred in the backdrop of India’s refusal to join the BRI, New Delhi sought to secure its “special relationship” with Bhutan and not lose territory to China.5 What went largely unnoticed was New Delhi’s troop build-up at the tri-junction with Myanmar.6 Given the situation in Doklam, this was a logical military precaution from an Indian standpoint. The difference remains that unlike Bhutan, India does not have special relations with Myanmar. If anything, Myanmar is heavily dependent on China, and India has failed to become a credible counterbalance, despite reinvigorating its “Act East” policy, which emphasizes economic connectivity to Southeast Asia via Myanmar.7 Regardless of these contextual differences, it is conventional wisdom that strategic rivalry with China drives India’s “Act East” policy, and territorial sensitivities inform its tactical response to crises such as Doklam. Especially vis-à-vis Myanmar, existing literature emphasizes competition with China as decisive in shaping India’s foreign policy.8 Though the role of domestic and bureaucratic politics is appreciated, these drivers are not considered critical..."
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Source/publisher: Asian Security
2018-12-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-10
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Topic: Belt And Road, India, Myanmar
Sub-title: China’s inroads in Myanmar through its Belt and Road Initiative are forcing India to rethink its connectivity with Southeast Asia.
Topic: Belt And Road, India, Myanmar
Description: "On January 17 and 18, China’s President Xi Jinping visited Myanmar, the first visit by a Chinese president to Myanmar in 19 years. Xi Jinping’s visit brought both the status of India-Myanmar and China-Myanmar relations to the forefront of public consciousness. During the visit, a number of agreements were signed between both the countries, among them were several infrastructure projects and the extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Myanmar. China has proposed the construction of a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the development of Myanmar’s deep sea port at Kyaukpyu. China’s strategic and economic expansion on India’s doorstep is a cause of concern for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BRI extension into Myanmar creates a strategic challenge for India which needs to be considered from three points of view – Myanmar as a part of India’s Act East Policy, challenges to land connectivity and the need to develop a maritime gateway..."
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Source/publisher: "ASEAN Today" (Singapore)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-03
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Description: ""Paukphaw”, which literally means born together, implying not only a shared destiny but racial kinship, was reinforced through strong political and economic bonds between Myanmar and China last week. Xi Jinping became the first Chinese leader to visit Nay Pyi Taw on a hugely significant state visit ( January 17-18) since Jiang Zemin back in 2001. The event received not more than a modicum of interest here, but it could have a serious geopolitical impact on India. If India is concerned about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, it now has more reason to worry about CMEC (China-Myanmar Economic Corridor) that just moved from being a concept to reality. The CMEC is less about oil and gas — there are pipelines running through Myanmar already — and more about reducing dependence on the Malacca Straits and access to the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. The CMEC includes the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port in the troubled Rakhine state along with a special economic zone (SEZ), the China-Myanmar border economic zone (the two countries share a 2,200 km-long border) and the newly announced Yangon urban development project (which is still at MoU stage)..."
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Source/publisher: "The Economic Times" (India)
2020-01-26
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-02
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Description: "China’s growing strategic ties with Myanmar, evident from Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping’s recent sojourn to the administrative capital of Naypyidaw, are causing consternation in New Delhi. Not only is Beijing’s outreach to Myanmar challenging India’s Neighborhood First policy, which seeks vigorous engagement with Myanmar and other South Asian neighbors, it is also an attempt to gain a back door to the Indian Ocean, foreign policy analysts say, describing it as ominous for geopolitical landscape of the Indian Ocean, apart from the ramifications for the US-led Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to keep China’s regional ambitions in check. The US administration of President Donald Trump has simply ignored the country along with much of the rest of Asia after overtures by Barack Obama, who initiated diplomatic relations, suspended economic sanctions and laid on high-level visits in the wake of then-President Thein Sein’s attempt to build on the 2010 constitution with reforms and open the country to global investment. With Myanmar facing international sanctions over its near genocide against minority Rohingya Muslims and other countries backing away, China has stepped into the vacuum. Although Xi’s trip to Myanmar was described as a “goodwill visit” to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, pretty much like all things Chinese, there was a considerable agenda..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Sentinel"
2020-01-28
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-30
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Description: "The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has been a recurrent hostage to downturns in India-Pakistan relations, which has often led New Delhi to turn to subregional initiatives, as has been witnessed by the current prime minister’s invitation to the member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to his swearing-in ceremony last year. BIMSTEC comprises five countries in South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka – and two in Southeast Asia, Myanmar and Thailand. Going by the past records, India’s approach to subregional initiatives has been marred by a lack of leadership, resources and institutionalization. For instance, it took 17 years for BIMSTEC to establish a permanent secretariat in Dhaka, in 2014. Similarly, the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) remained a Track II initiative for India until 2013 despite the rhetoric as to the perceived importance of subregional groupings. However, India is poised to focus more on subregional initiatives considering that the possibility of a resurrection of SAARC seems remote. New Delhi’s endeavor in this direction, nonetheless, has met a powerful tide from the reverse direction in the shape of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-01-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-24
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Sub-title: For Delhi, the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor derails efforts to discredit the Belt and Road Initiative
Description: "The state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Myanmar on January 17-18, the first of its kind in 19 years, was a transformative event in regional politics from the perspective of China-Myanmar bilateral relations as well as regional security, something that should be of major concern for India. A “comprehensive strategic partnership” is moving toward building a “Myanmar-China community with a shared future based on the aims of mutual benefits, equality and win-win cooperation,” as the joint statement issued after Xi’s visit frames it. Xi said in his banquet speech in the capital Naypyidaw that the reason the “Paukphaw (fraternal) friendship between the two countries can last thousands of years” is that they have “stood together through thick and thin, and adhered to mutual respect and mutual benefit.” He urged the two countries to be “good neighbors like passengers on the same boat” and create a more favorable environment for their economic and social development..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-01-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-24
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Description: "The visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Myanmar on January 17-18 marks the return of China to a position of dominance in a country which has traditionally been wary of its powerful northern neighbour. From 1990 to 2010, China had taken full advantage of the international isolation of Myanmar and its interethnic conflicts to emerge as the most important influence in the country. Since overturning the results of the elections which were won by the National League for Democracy (NLD) and its charismatic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the military junta which captured power, which it is still loathe to give up, had used China as its political shield. China, which had kept governments in Yangon off-balance by providing weapons and sanctuaries to ethnic groups inhabiting the border regions, provided relief by promoting ceasefire or arms for peace agreements with the military junta, in exchange for local autonomy. For a now fast-growing China in need of resources, raw material and markets, political influence translated quickly into preferential trade access and opportunities for the exploitation of Myanmar’s virtually untapped resources. These included minerals, timber and agricultural products. China was also the main supplier of weapons to the military. Chinese penetration into Myanmar was secured through the building of major highways linking southern China with Myanmar. Border trade was promoted through several border trade points. In ethnic areas adjacent to China, regional autonomy was leveraged to establish close trade and economic relations over which the central government had tenuous control. Chinese investment in these ethnic areas led to their being more integrated with southern China than with the rest of Myanmar..."
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Source/publisher: "The Economic Times" (India)
2020-01-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-24
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Sub-title: The pacts were signed during president Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Myanmar, a first by a Chinese president in almost two decades...This will give a significant push to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to which Myanmar had signed onto in 2018 amid lack of investments from western countries.
Description: "China and Myanmar, over the weekend, signed 33 bilateral agreements that are expected to strengthen ties between India’s eastern neighbor and Beijing. The accords include those to construct a rail link and a deep-sea port – part of a China-Myanmar-Economic Corridor – that runs from China’s south-western region to the Bay of Bengal. This will give a significant push to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to which Myanmar had signed onto in 2018 amid lack of investments from western countries. The pacts were signed during president Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to Myanmar, a first by a Chinese president in almost two decades. Xi’s visit to Myanmar was also his first abroad in the 2020 calendar year. The pacts were signed against the backdrop of Myanmar State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi coming under increasing pressure from Western countries over its crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. A Myanmar military campaign in 2017-18 caused some 730,000 Rohingyas from Rakhine state to flee to Bangladesh. In December, Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi defended her country’s human rights record vis a vis the Rohingyas at a hearing at the Hague-based International Court of Justice and a ruling in expected this month..."
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Source/publisher: "livemint" (New Delhi)
2020-01-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-20
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Description: "In a big boost to bilateral defence cooperation, Myanmar is set to soon commission its first-ever submarine after it is formally handed over by India.The impending transfer of the Russian-origin INS Sindhuvir is part of India’s continuing policy to counter China’s strategic inroads into Myanmar. The 3,000-tonne INS Sindhuvir may be 31 years old but it has undergone regular refits in India and Russiak being undertaken on the diesel-electric boat at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam..."
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Source/publisher: "The Times of India" (Oslo)
2019-12-09
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-09
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Description: "The second Belt-Road Forum (BRF) was held in Beijing from 25-27 April 2019. The three-day event was organized to promote the ‘Belt-Road Initiative’ (BRI) - President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure development and investment venture. The Summit was attended by 40 global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, China’s two closest allies. The gathering was larger than the first Summit held in 2017, which had just 29 participants. Among the new entrants were Austria, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Thailand. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte became the first G7 leader to join the BRI. India stayed out for the second time on grounds of sovereignty given that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traverses through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). BRI has come under fire due to lack of transparency, weak institutional mechanism, scepticism about Chinese loans leading to debt trap, and poor environmental record. Besides, it is being perceived as an exclusive ‘Chinese Club’. With new deals aggregating US$ 64 billion signed and 283 concrete deliverable outcomes, despite criticism particularly from the US and its allies, the grand plan apparently remains on track and is gaining international traction. With a view to dispel growing concerns, the focus of this second Forum was on projecting BRI as an attractive investment destination. President Xi staunchly defended the Belt-Road, assuring its ‘win-win’ outcome..."
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Source/publisher: "Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)" (New Delhi)
2019-05-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-09
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Description: "Not long ago, Beijing’s perspective towards Nepal was limited to that of a ‘good neighbour’ only.1 Though the presence of about 20,000 Tibetans in Nepal has been an issue of major concern to Beijing, it has carefully managed its relations with Nepal which it sees as a strategic geographic zone in the Himalayan valley. The Chinese outlook seems to be changing fast as evident from the outcomes of President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Nepal on October 12-13, 2019. With growing emphasis on strengthening bilateral cooperation especially on building sub-regional connectivity,2 Beijing seems to be orchestrating a Himalayan approach in its relations with Kathmandu – revealing a grander Chinese policy in making. On the side-lines of his Nepal visit, President Xi’s article published in Nepali newspapers sketched a bigger Chinese ambition with a view to forge “strategic and long-term” cooperation between the two sides.3 Stressing on a ‘renewed friendship’, Xi’s article was a curtain raiser to the joint statement which outlined resolute Chinese goals to promote “trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network” in the region. Such ambitions are not unusual in Chinese strategic calculus — a similar approach could be noticed in China’s interactions with other immediate neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar in particular. What is striking about China’s recent outreach to Nepal is its effort to transform the relationship into a comprehensive partnership, aiming to integrate with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Himalayan valley..."
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Source/publisher: "Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)" (New Delhi)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-09
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Description: "Myanmar earned over 2.28 billion U.S. dollars from export to foreign countries as of Nov. 15 in fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020 which started in October, according to figures from the Commerce Ministry on Wednesday. Myanmar mainly exports agricultural products, animal products, marine products, minerals, forest products, manufacturing goods and others to foreign trade partner countries. From Oct. 1 to Nov. 15, manufacturing goods were mainly exported, earning 1.12 billion U.S. dollars' capital, following by minerals with 526.8 million U.S. dollars. This FY's total export increased by over 568.9 million U.S. dollars, compared to the same period of last FY 2018-2019 when it was 1.7 billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the country's total foreign trade reached over 4.59 billion U.S. dollars as of Nov. 15 this FY, with 2.3 billion U.S. dollars' import value..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-27
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Description: "Former ambassadors and security analysts yesterday called upon the Bangladesh government to strengthen diplomatic efforts to earn China and India’s support for Rohingya repatriation, saying their roles are imperative to resolve the crisis. As the countries are regional powers, Myanmar maintains good relationships with them while they (India and China) also have their own economic and geopolitical interests in the Southeast country, the ambassadors and analysts said at a roundtable discussion. They said Bangladesh also needed to continue its diplomacy with the US and the United Nations to make them impose sanctions on Myanmar over “genocide” charges. Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies (ICLDS) and Bangla daily Bhorer Kagoj jointly organised the roundtable on the “Necessity of Rohingya Repatriation in Regional and Global Contexts” at the capital’s Jatiya Press Club..."
Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-19
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Russia desperately wants to increase its arms exports.
Description: "With the first serially produced Su-57 scheduled for delivery to the Russian Air Force by the end of 2019, aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi unveiled the export variant of Russia’s flagship fifth-generation fighter at the MAKS 2019 air show earlier this summer. In an illustration of the Kremlin’s increasingly proactive advertising approach, Russian President Vladimir Putin made news waves for personally pitching the Su-57E to his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdoğan. But this recent focus on high-profile presidential outings belies years of persistent behind-the-scenes work by Russia’s state arms export agency-- Rosoboronexport-- to line up a surprisingly wide array of potential Su-57 buyers and investors. Here is a current shortlist of all prospective Su-57 importers. Myanmar: The most recent addition to this list, Myanmar’s ambassador to Russia Ko Ko Shein Russia notified Moscow of his government’s interest in importing the Su-57 earlier this month. Myanmar previously signed a contract with Rosoboronexport to replace its aging Soviet MiG-29’s with a fleet of Su-30SM Flankers. Even if it uses objectively more expensive components, the Su-57E could end up costing Myanmar barely more than the Su-30SM; as previously described by The National Interest, the Russian government is willing to “short-sell” the Su-57 in the short term if it plants the seeds of a profitable export platform down the line. Though unsuited for helping Myanmar’s government with their ongoing counterinsurgency efforts, the Su-57E would go far in shoring up Myanmar’s drastic deficiency in air-to-air power..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The National Interest" (USA)
2019-11-14
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Xi Jinping’s first ever visit to Nepal underscored Himalayan nation’s shift towards Beijing and away from Delhi
Description: "While Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent unofficial summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made global headlines, the two rival nations’ subsequent moves were arguably more telling of their strategic intent. Asia’s most populous nations are locked in an intensifying competition for South Asian influence, one where China is increasingly stealing a march in a region India has long considered its sphere of influence. Underscoring the point, a Xinhua report quoted Xi as saying that the “dragon and elephant dance is the only correct choice for China and India” and that differences should be handled in a “correct way.” Sun Shihai, a Chinese India expert, was quoted in regional media as saying that “despite the leadership summits, there’s still deep-rooted suspicion and antagonism between the two countries.” Core to that antagonism is a still festering border dispute in the Himalayan Doklam region, where the two sides engaged in a weeks-long standoff in 2017, and the long-time presence of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader Dalai Lama in India..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2019-10-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Behind the scenes of this year's Asean and East Asian summits, currently taking place in Bangkok, the region's key nations -- China, India and Japan -- are engaged in a quiet battle for greater influence in Myanmar. While on the sidelines, the countries of Asean, especially Thailand, as the current chair of the regional organisation, are offering qualified support for its problematic ally, largely behind the scenes. The fact that the State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, is here is a measure of how important she and the Myanmar government regard their relations with the region and its top powers. In the face of growing Western criticism, Myanmar is anxious to secure greater support from its Asian "friends". Sources close to "the Lady", as she is affectionately known in the country, say she feels bitterly betrayed by the United Kingdom and United States. Last year she told a close confidante that Myanmar only had two friends it could really trust -- China and Japan, and to a lesser degree India. Asean's support, though less significant than the big three "neighbours", was taken for granted, according to diplomatic sources..."
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Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "India’s ambassador for Myanmar, Shri Saurabh Kumar, exuded confidence on ‘enhancing bilateral relations between both the countries to new heights’ as the deeper engagements of recent years between both the countries has already started yielding results. Addressing a gathering at Myanmar’s premier foreign policy think tank, Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, (MISIS) on Tuesday, the Ambassador pointed out, “ In the coming years, with India’s ambitious ‘Act East’ foreign policy, there is going to be a qualitative enhancement of relations between India and Myanmar. This would be realized not only through government to government efforts, but also through a sustained people’s awareness, promotion of investment and partnerships with the private sector, businesses and people; both countries need to work together and learn about each other. Delivering an invited talk to the august gathering of policy analysts, former diplomats and faculty of MISIS, Shri Saurabh Kumar provided an exhaustive presentation on the contemporary situation on relations between both the countries, issues and challenges and the future perspective..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
2019-09-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: .The potential for Myanmar to become a trade hub is good because of its location between two rapidly developing countries with large populations U Phyo Min Thein said during a dinner to mark the foundation of the Myanmar-India-China Friendship and Development Association and signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding among Chinese traders, the India-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and 10 local business associations on September 27 “For various reasons, Myanmar is less developed, but there is a possibility that the country can achieve progress along with peace, if it cooperates with more developed neighbouring countries,” said U Phyo Min Thein. Myanmar needs to promote the scope of cooperation in various sectors with neighbouring countries so that it can work towards peace, development and democratic nation, he added. “The close friendship with China will further develope into a strategic cooperation, and there are also favorable conditions to build enduring relations with India to create a border trade zone between the two countries,” he said. “As the first step toward this, the Myanmar-India-China Friendship and Development Association will promote economic cooperation between China and India in construction and steel manufacturing,” said U Zaw Zaw Naing, vice chair of the association.
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: China, Myitsone Dam,India, foreign investment, international relations, conflict
Sub-title: If China and India seek sustainable development in Myanmar, they should engage more locally and listen to the voices of affected communities. For China, this starts with the Myitsone Dam.
Topic: China, Myitsone Dam,India, foreign investment, international relations, conflict
Description: "MYANMAR HAS two major assets that interest China: access to the Indian Ocean and plentiful natural resources. During the rule of Myanmar’s military junta, 1988-2011, China won access to both by protecting the regime from the impact of sanctions and condemnation by Western countries. Under President U Thein Sein’s transitional, military-backed government, beginning in 2011, Myanmar moved closer to Western powers, seeking to lessen the country’s dependence on its giant neighbour to the north. Many observers assumed that, under a National League for Democracy-led, semi-civilian government, the pivot away from China would continue . However, since 2016, when the NLD took office, China has increased its influence in Myanmar, in large part because of the country’s renewed isolation over the Rohingya crisis. In Kachin State, which borders China to the north and east, the consequences of this shift are profound. China has had direct access to the Indian Ocean since 2013, when a gas pipeline that spans Myanmar became operational. The 2,520-kilometre pipeline starts from Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State on Myanmar’s western coast, enters China from Shan State at Ruili in Yunnan Province and ends at Guigang in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A parallel crude oil pipeline that stops at Kunming began operating in 2017. As well as their economic value, these projects give China long-term leverage over Myanmar. Since 2017, the government has come under renewed international pressure over the widespread and systematic abuses perpetrated by the Tatmadaw against the Rohingya population in northern Rakhine State. More than 700,000 civilians fled across the border to Bangladesh, which is now home to more than a million Rohingya refugees. Through its veto powers at the United Nations Security Council, China has protected Myanmar by blocking moves to penalise the government. While there have been many losers in the Rohingya crisis, China has been a clear winner. The Tatmadaw has also done well out of it; the NLD-led civilian government, much less so..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar"
2019-03-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "U Soe Htet, a minister of municipalities and spoke person of Chin State, told to media the construction of comprehensive project of Kalardan Port which became the main route of economic and military of India and China and with regard to the project, the activities of AA had been supported by both countries at the news conference. U soe Htet said “We have already conducted field trips over the East - Looked policies of India. The project has been turning into elven years. The field trip has been conducted after Aung San Su Kyi has met the prime minister of India. Geographically Chinese depending on voyage uses Kyauk Phyu deep-sea port project and India uses Sittwe and Paletwa deep-sea port project. Frankly speaking, both economic and military of the two-big countries were located on the route. The territory was not stable due to the military activities of AA. These activities also were interrelated with the support of the two big countries”. Military activities of AA delayed bridge and road projects. Despise challenges, the projects were expected to implement as soon as possible to be convenience for trading..."
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Source/publisher: "BNI Multimedia Group"
2019-08-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar's military has lavished tens of millions of dollars on the latest lethal hardware, leaning on allies as part of a strategy to become a first-class fighting force. The spending spree comes despite enduring European Union and US arms embargos and calls earlier this month from a United Nations fact-finding mission for the international community to sever financial ties to Myanmar's military. Senior generals already face sanctions for a scorched earth campaign that drove more than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh. And allegations of fresh abuses are mounting as it now tackles ethnic Rakhine rebels in the same area, according to an Amnesty International report Wednesday. But the army has continued spending, offered discounts by governments with a stake in its strategic location and an eye on a major arms market. Here are a few which it has turned to for arms, equipment or training. China Despite easing economic sanctions, the US still does not sell weapons to Myanmar. China has no such qualms. Beijing has provided diplomatic cover for Myanmar at the UN. It has also been its main source of weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which estimates that from 2013–17 China accounted for 68 percent of Myanmar arms imports. That includes armoured vehicles, surface-to-air missile technology, radar, and unarmed drones, said Mr Siemon Wezeman, SIPRI senior researcher for the Asia-Pacific. He added Myanmar also placed orders for Sino-Pakistani manufactured JF-17 Thunder fighter jets valued at US$25 million each, seen in action in late 2018 at a Myanmar Air Force display. "Name it and the Chinese supply it," Wezeman told AFP..."
Source/publisher: Frontier Myanmar
2019-05-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Positioned between two of the largest countries in the world, Myanmar must balance external pressures and internal potential as it continues to grow. Will geographic opportunity translate to national improvement, or will it bring only diplomatic headaches?..."
Creator/author: Nicholas Farrelly
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
2015-08-03
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "...If India is to become an assertive regional player in Asia, it has to work toward developing policies that would improve and strengthen it domestically, which will encourage more confidence in its ability to lead the region and be an important global player. Competition with China should also be considered and taken seriously. China?s growing influence in the region would lead to a more one-sided dynamic in the region. China has asserted itself through its soft power as well as through its trade and economic relations with Myanmar by taking up large infrastructure projects in the country. India on the other hand needs to use its soft power more effectively, and at the same time strengthen itself domestically and regionally. There are several advantages that India has over China with regard to Myanmar. One is the democratic process, which results in different governments at the center and states through free and fair elections. There is also the respect for institutions that are strong enough to hold the country together. Finally, cooperation in different multilateral forums such as ASEAN and BIMSTEC strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Apart from these reasons, India has sent a clear signal that while economic ties are important, it is keen to build a holistic relationship and is prepared to assist in institution building in Myanmar..."
Creator/author: Sridhar Ramaswamy & Tridivesh Singh Maini
Source/publisher: "The Diplomat"
2014-08-12
Date of entry/update: 2014-08-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "As India and China have emerged as major powers in Asia, their interests and concerns have transcended their geographical boundaries. There is particularly the case in Myanmar, where those interests have converged. This is largely due to the fact that Myanmar shares common borders with both the countries. Myanmar shares a 2,185-kilometer border with China, and 1,643-kilometer border with India. It has long been argued that Myanmar has always been a strategic concern for governing the dynamics of India-China relations. Myanmar?s strategic location is considered as an important asset for India and China that offers tremendous opportunities for the countries of the region. Therefore, recent developments in Myanmar are a matter of concern for both India and China..."
Creator/author: Sonu Trivedi
Source/publisher: "Asia Times Online"
2013-08-13
Date of entry/update: 2014-05-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "A welcome study of Burma?s relations with its powerful neighbours..."..."A country that sits between two aspiring superpowers has some very complicated choices to make. Yet Burma, whose entire upper half is wedged between north-eastern India and south-western China, seems to have consistently made the wrong choices through much of the 20th century and all of the 21st..."
Creator/author: Siddhartha Deb
Source/publisher: Guardian.UK
2011-08-19
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Myanmar mostly makes news in the West these days with blood and iron, when the brutal military regime cracks down on monks and others protesting for democracy. Host Scott Simon chats with Thant Myint-U, author of "Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia", who says the country may have a bright and bold future as a bridge between China and India?s growing economies."
Source/publisher: National Public Radio (NPR)
2011-09-24
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Gliederung: 1 Einleitung 2 Geostrategische und wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Myanmar 3 Grundz?ge der myanmaischen Au?enpolitik 3.1 Historische Entwicklung nach der Unabh?ngigkeit 3.2 Interessen und Ziele 4 Myanmar und die VR China 4.1 Grundz?ge der chinesischen Au?enpolitik 4.2 Geschichte der chinesisch-myanmaischen Beziehungen 4.3 Chinesische Interessen und Ziele 4.4 Die Myanmarpolitik der VR China 4.4.1 Wirtschaftlich-technische Kooperation 4.4.2 Milit?rische Zusammenarbeit 4.4.3 Diplomatische Unterst?tzung 5 Myanmar und Indien 5.1 Grundz?ge der indischen Au?enpolitik 5.2 Geschichte der indisch-myanmaischen Beziehungen 5.3 Indische Interessen und Ziele 5.4 Die Myanmarpolitik Indiens 5.4.1 Wirtschaftliche Kooperation 5.4.2 Milit?rische Zusammenarbeit 5.4.3 Diplomatische Kontakte 6 Zusammenfassung und Bewertung....."Die Pr?senz Myanmars, vor allem in der westlichen ?ffentlichkeit, steht im Gegensatz zu seiner derzeitigen und insbesondere seiner zuk?nftigen Bedeutung f?r das Verh?ltnis der beiden asiatischen Regionalm?chte, der Indischen Union (im Weiteren Indien) und der VR China (im Weiteren China). Die Lage in Myanmar und seine Au?enpolitik haben damit Einfluss auf die Machtkonstellationen zwischen den staatlichen Akteuren in Asien und der Welt. Intention dieses Aufsatzes ist es aufzuzeigen, welche Interessen China und Indien in Myanmar verfolgen und durchsetzen, und wie sich die myanmaische Au?enpolitik unter diesen Bedingungen darstellt. Bei Ausf?hrungen, die sich auf die Zeit vor 1988 beziehen, wird der Begriff Birma verwendet, f?r die Zeit nach 1988 Myanmar..."
Creator/author: Alexander Dörffel
Source/publisher: S?DOSTASIEN aktuell
2003-07-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-12-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Deutsch, German
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Description: In the context of energy diplomacy and security, for India and China, Myanmar is rapidly emerging as the primary gateway to their much needed energy supplies, particularly China having already established itself as the first investor in Myanmar. Recent gas discoveries by Daewoo in the Bay of Bengal have now attracted major Indian and Chinese operators to carve out a share of the significant gas and petroleum potential, and plans are being finalized for a petroleum pipeline linking south-western China to the Bengal coastline of Myanmar.
Creator/author: Tuli Sinha
Source/publisher: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (Delhi) - IPCS ISSUE BRIEF No. 134
2009-12-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-11-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Englsih
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Description: "The historic Ledo Road, more popularly known as the Stilwell Road, was constructed by the Allied forces during the Second World War as an alternative for the Burma Road on the China-Burma-India theatre, to supply the forces fighting against the Japanese. The road which is 1,736 kilometres long, starts from Ledo in Assam and passes through Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India to enter Myanmar through the Pangsau Pass ultimately ending at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in Southwest China...The issue of opening the Ledo Road has been brought up time and again by both India and Myanmar, so much so that it has become an annual ritual, but each time it has remained a diplomatic non-starter. New Delhi should see this as an opportunity to strengthen its engagement with Myanmar in the larger strategic and economic perspective and make adequate use of the Ledo Road..."
Creator/author: Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman
Source/publisher: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (Delhi)
2010-01-27
Date of entry/update: 2010-11-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Since the World War II, Myanmar better known the world over as Burma, had never attracted so much international attention as now. Actually, there are reasons both global and local for this development. The rise of China as a major global economic power and the unlocking of India?s potential to grow as yet another global economic power are redefining international relationships in South and Southeast Asia. Myanmar is now viewed as a critical area of interest to China and India. It is of special interest to the U.S. which would like to check the over riding influence of China in this region while cruising on its journey to the status of a contending global power. While China has developed close political, military and economic relations with Myanmar, India is in the process of following suite. A study of India-Myanmar and Sino-Myanmar relations offer some interesting aspects of how they are adopting the geo-strategic setting and political environment of the region to their advantage.
Creator/author: Col R Hariharan
Source/publisher: Asian Tribune
2007-07-22
Date of entry/update: 2010-10-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: China and India have overlapping ambitions in the Indian Ocean. So as China flexes its naval reach, India is left debating how to assume leadership in the Indian Ocean.
Creator/author: Ben Arnoldy, Staff writer
Source/publisher: The Christian Science Monitor
2010-08-30
Date of entry/update: 2010-10-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: The Great Game of the 19th Century was played between empire builders Britain and Russia, using Afghanistan as their football in seeking control of central Asia. Today, there is a new great game under way between two very different competitors -- China and India. But this time the ball is Burma. In much the same way that Afghanistan was a poor and undeveloped but strategic piece of territory, so Burma now fits that role for the two burgeoning economic giants. But Burma is more than simply a slice of well-placed geography: It is rich in energy resources, which China and India crave.
Source/publisher: World Politics Review
2006-08-21
Date of entry/update: 2010-10-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Abstract: "China has since the late 1980s been heavily involved in Myanmar strategically and economically. The Indian government was particularly worried about the China- Myanmar?s growing strategic links, and is as well making overt efforts to court the military junta and establish a stronger presence there. How strategically important is Myanmar to these two big countries? Will India surpass China?s influence in Myanmar?".... Key words: China-India, Myanmar, rivalry, energy
Creator/author: Zhao Hong
Source/publisher: Institute of China Studies University of Malaya - ICS Working Paper No. 2008-14
2008-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-03-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Executive Summary: 1. On January 12, 2007, at the United Nations Security Council, China vetoed a draft resolution tabled by the U.S. and UK, which called on the Myanmar government to release all political prisoners. 2. India was also urged by the Bush Administration to be more active in pressing for democracy in Myanmar after the Junta?s crackdown on the pro-democratic movement led by monks in September 2007, but New Delhi calls ?democracy and human rights internal Myanmar issues”. 3. China?s and India?s stances on the Myanmar issue are based on their strategic thinking in this country. China has since the late 1980s been heavily involved in Myanmar strategically and economically. Myanmar is not only a potential supply route bypassing the Malacca Strait, but also a strategic staging point for controlling access to Malacca Strait?s western approaches. 4. Myanmar is part and parcel of China?s strategic design to develop its western region. Myanmar is the only passage for China to reach South Asia from Yunnan and an important access to the Indian Ocean. Counter-narcotic trafficking, money laundering and smuggling of arms are also important issues for both countries. 5. The Indian government was particularly worried about the China-Myanmar strategic links and the prospects of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the Bay of Bengal. Myanmar?s location is central to strengthening India?s Look- East policy, energy security and counterbalancing China?s influence in Southeast Asia. 6. India?s growing interest in Myanmar could be seen in the shift in its low-key policies in the 1980s and the early 1990s -- from an emphasis on human rights and democracy to an emphasis on a pragmatic strategic policy toward Rangoon. ii 7. China and India?s competition is best manifested in the energy field. Myanmar is rich in oil and natural gas. New large finds in three fields in the Gulf of Bengal have sparked an intense bidding war among Bangkok, Beijing and New Delhi. It was with PetroChina that Myanmar eventually signed a gas export Memorandum of Understanding in early 2006. 8. Just before the pro-democracy protests were crushed in Myanmar this September, the junta withdrew India?s status of preferential buyer of its offshore natural gas fields and instead declared its intent to sell the gas to PetroChina. India has thus lost an important diplomatic initiative to counter Chinese influence in Myanmar. 9. However India?s current setback in the field of energy rivalry is unlikely to dampen its attempts to compete with China in other fields, and win greater cooperation from Myanmar over counter-insurgence efforts and establish a stronger presence there. 10. Myanmar has been described as a ?de facto Chinese client state”, ?a virtual Chinese satellite”, and also ?a critical nexus in the China-Indian regional rivalry”. Nevertheless, Myanmar is fully aware of the potential dangers of being too close to China, and has been diversifying its foreign relations, allowing itself to be courted by India, Russia and other big countries. 11. Although China?s leverage in Myanmar has been decreasing, it still enjoys a privileged position there, particularly at the time when Myanmar is not opened to the world. It would be unrealistic to expect Beijing to displace the regime that is serving as a guarantor of China?s access to the Indian Ocean.
Creator/author: Zhao Hong
Source/publisher: (East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore, EAI Background Brief No. 360
2007-12-06
Date of entry/update: 2009-08-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Die Zuspitzung der von buddhistischen Mönchen angeführten Proteste gegen das Militärregime in Birma bzw. Myanmar sowie das harte Vorgehen der Militärjunta haben Birma in den Blickpunkt der Weltöffentlichkeit gerückt. Seit Jahren wird von seiten vor allem der US-Regierung, aber auch Großbritanniens und teils auch der EU Propaganda gegen das Militärregime dort gemacht, wurden Drohungen ausgesprochen und Sanktionen verhängt. Und sie drängen auch jetzt zu verschärften Maßnahmen gegenüber Birma und setzen zunehmend China, Indien und die ASEAN-Staaten unter Druck, gegen die Militärjunta vorzugehen und noch mehr, sie drängen dazu, zu einem Machtwechsel in Birma beizutragen.USA-Burma Beziehungen, Aufstände 2007; USA-Burma relations; uprisings 2007
Creator/author: Uwe Mueller
Source/publisher: Neue Einheit
2007-10-01
Date of entry/update: 2008-05-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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Description: Die jüngsten Demonstrationen in Burma sind eine erneute Bewährungsprobe für demokratische Werte in einer Welt, die zumindest in politischer Hinsicht größtenteils demokratisch ist. Ebenso wie der Kampf der Werte auf den blutigen Straßen in Teilen Burmas sichtbar war, beschloss die benachbarte "größte Demokratie der Welt", die gleichzeitig ein strategischer Partner des Landes ist, eben jene Werte, die es tendenziell vertritt, aufs Spiel zu setzen. Der Rest der Welt ? insbesondere die USA und Europa ? tat kaum mehr als diplomatische Statements abzugeben und Indien und China zu drängen, entschieden vorzugehen. Indisch-burmesische Beziehungen, Burma-US Amerikanische Beziehungen, Burma-EU Beziehungen, Sanktionen; Indian-burmese, US-Burmese, EU-Burmese relations; sanctions;
Creator/author: Sachin Joshi
Source/publisher: Südasien
2008-01-30
Date of entry/update: 2008-02-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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Description: Seit Beginn der 1990er Jahre arrangierten sich alle indischen Regierungen mit dem östlichen Nachbarn. Die größte Demokratie der Welt zeigte sich sehr zurückhaltend gegenüber der kürzlichen Protestbewegung in Burma. Energieinteressen, die burmesische Hilfe bei der Bekämpfung von Rebellen im indischen Nordosten und die angestrebte Neutralisierung des mächtigen chinesischen Einflusses führten zu einem sichtbaren Appeasement gegenüber der ebident die Menschenrechte verletzenden burmesischen Junta. Es mangelt an einer überzeugenden Initiative der indischen Regionalmacht, das Thema Burma offensiv anzugehen; chinesischer Einfluss in Burma; Geo-Politik Burmas; indische Wirtschaftsinteressen in Burma; indisch-burmesische Militärkooperationen; chinese Influence in Burma; geo-politics of Burma; indian economic interests in Burma; indian-burmese military cooperation
Creator/author: Klaus Julian Voll
Source/publisher: Asienhaus
2007-04-25
Date of entry/update: 2008-01-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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Description: Es erhob sich in letzter Zeit der Ruf nach einem energischen Auftreten Indiens gegen das Militärregime in Burma immer lauter. Die Rufer übersahen allerdings, dass die indisch-burmesischen Beziehungen, wie auch die zum Rest Südostasiens, alles andere als eng und damit die Möglichkeiten der Einflussnahme ausgesprochen gering sind. Außenpolitik Indiens; Indisch-chinesische Beziehung; Südostasien; SEATO; India`s foreign policy; Indian-Burmese Relations; Indian-Chinese Relations; Southeast Asia; Uprising 2007
Creator/author: Amit Das Gupta
Source/publisher: Asienhaus
2008-01-11
Date of entry/update: 2008-01-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: German, Deutsch
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Description: Indian defense analysts say China is developing a presence on islands off Burma for access to the Indian ocean and what will be a vital trade route in the 21st century. New Delhi correspondent Douglas Bakshian talks with Indian defense experts about the matter.
Creator/author: Douglas Bakshian
Source/publisher: Voice of America
1998-05-21
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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