Halfway before the coup in Myanmar, the Chinese king who met the commander of the coup

Wang, who visited Myanmar on the 12th of last month (local time), meets Chinese Foreign Minister Min Ahong Hlaing, the supreme commander of the Ministry of Defense. [신화통신=연합뉴스]

China alone is showing a subtle attitude as leaders around the world are voicing criticism due to the Myanmar military coup. In particular, it is attracting attention that Wang Yi, 68, Wang Yi, a member of China’s State Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Myanmar for 15 months ago and met Min Ahong Hlaing, 64, the Supreme Commander of the Ministry of Defense, who led the coup.

According to a report by Xinhua News Agency in China (local time) on the 12th of last month, Wang met with Supreme Commander Hlaing to quickly promote the construction of China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). The economic corridor contains the construction of roads and other infrastructure in the Irrawaddy River basin and nearby mountainous regions as part of China’s One Belt One Road (One Road, China’s Land and Sea Silk Road) project.

“China will help to defend Myanmar’s sovereignty, national dignity and legitimate rights and interests by helping the development of Myanmar,” said Wang said. “We will provide medical supplies such as the Corona 19 vaccine,” he said. “China hopes that the construction of an economic corridor will be fully implemented after a new government is established for the development of Myanmar.”

Supreme Commander Hlaing also replied, “I am happy to see China’s growing international status and influence,” and “I will support the acceleration of the construction of the economic corridor.” He said, “I am grateful for China’s support for the Corona 19 vaccine,” and said, “I will also support China’s position on issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and kidneys.”

Of course, Wang Yi also met the national advisor of Aung San Suu Kyi. He said, “China is a Myanmar friend and supports the administration of the Myanmar government and the development strategy that suits its own circumstances.” However, attention is focused on whether the coup may have been hinted by meeting a large number of high-ranking Burma officials, including Supreme Commander Hlaing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wen-bin was asked this question at a briefing the day before and avoided an immediate answer. However, regarding the coup, he said, “We are paying attention to the situation,” and said, “Myanmar must defend the stability of the political society in the framework of the constitution and laws.”

Some say that the Myanmar crisis will become a diplomatic battleground between the US and China, which are competing for the G2. In an official statement the day before, President Joe Biden condemned the military coup and said he would review economic sanctions against Myanmar. In particular, he said, “It warns’those who confront Myanmar’,” and some analyzes say that this was aimed at China.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) analyzed that it is a new task for President Biden to keep Myanmar from sticking to China while responding to the military dictatorship. Reuters also said that the Biden administration is trying to implement a strategy to strengthen the alliance with Asia to confront China, and the Myanmar military dictatorship could be a major blow to Asia-Pacific policy.

On the 12th of last month (local time), Wang visits Naepido, the capital of Myanmar, and meets Chinese Foreign Minister Min Ahong Hlaing, the supreme commander of the Ministry of Defense. [신화통신=연합뉴스]

China’s task is to draw in India, which is facing border issues, and to complete the economic corridor connecting’Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar’ (BCIM). Myanmar’s cooperation is needed to complete a large-scale economic corridor that is part of the One-to-One Road Project. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Myanmar for the first time as an overseas defense last year and met with Suu Kyi to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries through the One-to-One Road Project and signed 33 Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). Of these, 13 are infrastructure projects such as roads, railroads, and energy.

According to a report by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 2nd, a Chinese military source said “I will only watch the situation in Myanmar and do nothing.” Joo Yongbao, head professor of the One-to-One Road Research Center at Lanzhou University, told SCMP, “This coup is the result of an old problem in Myanmar.” He added that “unless the situation persists, it will not affect the border with China.”

Meanwhile, Supreme Commander Hlaing, who led the coup, became the top leader in Myanmar without any checks. Immediately after taking power, he replaced the positions of 24 ministers and vice-ministers of the civil government led by Suu Kyi and appointed 11 new ministers of the Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs to serve in the military government.

Graphic = Reporter Jaemin Shin [email protected]

Reporter Jeong Eun-hye [email protected]