Wang Meets Suu Kyi in Beijing’s “Proactive Approach”

South China Morning Post

05 April 2016

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Myanmar counterpart Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, as part of a trip Beijing says shows its proactive approach to improving ties with the country.

The two foreign ministers met for about an hour in the country’s capital. Afterwards, Suu Kyi said that Wang’s visit, so soon after her party took the reins of government, was “an expression of friendliness between the two countries”.

“The relationship between our two countries socially and economically is very important as we are neighbours,” she told a joint press conference.

“Our government policy is to have friendly cooperation with the whole world and I hope our neighbouring countries will join hands with us in implementing our work on peace and human development.”

Their talks came as Chinese state-controlled commodity trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy won approval from the Myanmar Investment Committee to build a US$3 billion refinery in the southeast coastal city of Dawei in partnership with local parties. The refinery will have a capacity of 100,000 barrels-per-day.

… Alistair D. B. Cook, a research fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said Beijing had to change its strategy in engaging with Myanmar after the swearing in of the new government.

“Many in the local communities felt their livelihoods were taken away, that they were given inadequate compensation and few prospects of long term alternative employment,” said Cook, adding that local communities would play a more prominent role in the nation’s affairs.

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NTS Centre / Print