For those who hailed Washington's recent Myanmar policy a success, the fate of U.S. relations with the former pariah state became a pressing question with the advent of the Trump administration. Some now wonder if the positive aspects of U.S. engagement with Myanmar in recent years -- including the lifting of long-standing economic sanctions in 2015 and 2016, and active support for reforms -- will be replaced by a more unpredictable approach. Judging from remarks by Myanmar's leaders, from State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi down, Naypyitaw clearly hopes for further U.S. support for its democratic reforms and closer engagement with its military.
