Joint statement, issued after Suu Kyi’s meeting with Xi, avoids any mention of South China Sea

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi concluded her visit to China after embarking on a tough balancing act — of seeking Beijing’s support for her country’s infrastructure projects while taking into consideration the demands of environmental groups back home, who oppose such foreign-backed initiatives.

During the visit, media attention remained largely fixated on the Myitsone project, the controversial China-backed undertaking worth $3.6 billion stalled since 2011 on the grounds of causing extensive ecological damage.

The joint statement released after Ms. Suu Kyi met China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday placed on record Myanmar’s support for China’s ‘Belt and Road’ connectivity initiative along the ancient Silk Road. It also supported the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor meant to industrialise a stretch — spanning more than 2,000-km — linking Kunming in China with Mandalay in Myanmar, passing through Bangladesh, and ending at Kolkata in India. En route it would pass through Mandalay, Myanmar’s major city, before entering Bangladesh, with India as its final destination. “Myanmar welcomed China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative and the initiative of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor,” said the joint statement.

Significantly, it made no mention of the South China Sea dispute, an achievement for Beijing, which has been working hard to avoid negative references to the issue among members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

While Ms. Suu Kyi engaged with China’s prime politicians — Mr. Xi and Prime Minister Li Keqiang — her delegation also broke bread with the who’s who of China’s State-owned-enterprises and its corporate sector. Talks were also held with State Grid Corporation, China’s state-owned behemoth that envisions establishing an Asian super-grid, with Myanmar as one of its nodes. Besides, the visitors met a delegation from the China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), which has been known for developing advanced weapons, apart from trucks, cars and motorcycles.

Reconciliation efforts



Prior to Ms. Suu Kyi’s visit, Myanmar’s media had highlighted that she was likely to look for Chinese support for her government’s initiatives in achieving reconciliation with insurgent groups in Myanmar.

For more than half-a-century, Myanmar has been a victim of militancy, fuelled by clandestine sale of drugs, timber and jade that is mostly channelled through China.

Last month, leaders of Myanmar’s rebel groups converged at Mai Ja Yang, a border town, to prepare for a major peace conference, slated to be held at the end of this month.

The Joint Statement echoed Beijing’s cross-border interests by noting China’s support for Myanmar “to realise peace and national reconciliation through political dialogue”.

Amid the bonhomie in Beijing, civil society groups reminded Ms. Suu-Kyi’s hosts about the intensity of Myanmar’s internal woes. In a letter to Mr. Xi, routed through the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, 60 civil society groups in Yangon underscored that the opinion of “Myanmar’s people has never been sought extensively enough since the Myitsone project was first conceived”.

Separately The Irrawaddy newspaper reported that 26 Shan civil society and environmental organisations have called for an immediate halt to major dam projects planned for construction on the Salween River.

An open letter to State Counsellor pointed out that hydropower dams on the Salween River would block water flow and create hardship for those who rely on the waterway, particularly for agriculture, in Burma, Thailand and China. The missive stressed that unpopular hydropower projects could exacerbate unrest in the area—a warning that comes days ahead of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference.