Myanmar Junta Seen Cozying Up to China if West Gets Tough

Voice of America

02 February 2021

The military government that seized power in Myanmar will get along well with its authoritarian neighbour China in the long term, despite historical misgivings, and grow closer if international sanctions isolate the Southeast Asian state from Western powers, observers say. Myanmar’s military took control of the country Monday and declared a year-long state of emergency. Civilian de facto head of state Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate, was detained in the power shift, prompting condemnation from Western governments. “China will remain Myanmar’s most important economic partner because it has the longest land border (and) it’s got the biggest investment,” said Dr. Alistair Cook, a Senior Fellow with RSIS.

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