China walks political tightrope in Myanmar

Beijing should leverage its influence with military

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20191007 Yunnan railway bridge.jpg

The construction site of the railway arch bridge with world's longest span of 490 meters across the Nujiang River in China, which is a key section of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor: the NLD government has paved the way for the project. © Imaginechina/AP

Since 2016, when Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy came to power in Myanmar, China's relations with the Southeast Asian state have been surprisingly smooth considering Beijing's close ties with its former military regimes.

Previously widespread anti-Chinese sentiment, founded in controversial Chinese investments in natural resources, has largely dissipated. The shift reflects Suu Kyi's pragmatic leadership style and her isolation from the West, condemning her for her apparent indifference toward the Rohingya refugee crisis.

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