What China sees in Clinton's visit to Burma (Myanmar)
| Beijing
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Burma (Myanmar) on Wednesday after President Obama said he saw 鈥渇lickers of progress鈥� toward democracy in the isolated and impoverished nation.
Many聽Chinese observers, however, see something else in the visit: another step in a strategic plan by Washington to fence Beijing in, as the United States increasingly turns its diplomatic attention to Asia.
US officials insist Ms. Clinton is in Burma to further political reforms by the new nominally civilian government. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about 鈥� trying to seize an opportunity,鈥� said State Department spokesman Mark Toner earlier this week. 鈥淭his visit to Burma is not about our relationship with China.鈥�
The Chinese government says it welcomes this approach. 鈥淲e believe that Myanmar and relevant Western countries should enhance contacts 鈥� on the basis of mutual respect,鈥� Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Wednesday. 鈥淲e hope these actions will be conducive to the stability and development of Myanmar.鈥�
Masked concerns
Such statements, however, mask undoubted concerns. 鈥淎s Washington shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, there is more than meets the eye to Clinton鈥檚 visit to Burma,鈥� argued an article in Wednesday鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Daily,鈥� a paper published by the Chinese military that was circulated by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Clinton鈥檚 visit, the first to Burma by a US secretary of State since John Foster Dulles went to Rangoon in 1955, comes on the heels of Mr. Obama鈥檚 nine-day swing through the Asia-Pacific region. He used that journey to announce a US 鈥減ivot鈥� away from winding-down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and toward east Asia.
鈥淭he US is here to stay,鈥� he said bluntly.
That tour, and Obama鈥檚 announcement that US Marines will be based in northern Australia, were seen around Asia, and in Beijing, as aimed at countering China鈥檚 growing regional ambitions.
Those ambitions have worried some southeast Asian nations, especially those that have territorial disputes with China over islands and waters in the South China Sea thought to be rich in oil and gas. They have welcomed renewed US involvement, and Washington鈥檚 insistence that it has an interest in ensuring freedom of navigation in waters that China claims.
Burma has no such dispute with Beijing, but its new rulers appear to be tiring of Beijing鈥檚 warm embrace and seeking to reduce the country鈥檚 economic and political dependence on its huge northern neighbor by cultivating ties with Washington.
Washington鈥檚 response to those overtures makes it 鈥渟eem like the US is undermining China鈥檚 foundations in Asia one by one,鈥� warned an editorial in Wednesday鈥檚 Chinese-language edition of the Global Times, an official paper that often voices opinions on the nationalist end of the permitted spectrum of public debate in China.
The paper鈥檚 English-language edition suggested in another editorial that 鈥淐hina has no resistance toward Myanmar seeking improved relationship with the West, but it will not accept this while seeing its interests stamped on.鈥�
'To contain China?'
Meanwhile, the ruling Communist party鈥檚 official organ, the People鈥檚 Daily, published a strongly worded article on its website Tuesday by a prominent military commentator accusing the US of 鈥減ositioning pieces and forces on China鈥檚 periphery, and the intent is very clear 鈥� this is aimed at China, to contain China.鈥�
鈥淐hina has not provoked US interests, so what are you doing running to Asia to encircle China?鈥� asked Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan rhetorically in the article.
Such concerns are likely to be deepened by recent signs that the US, Australia, and India may be renewing efforts to create a security pact. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd told the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday that he backed the idea, and that 鈥渢he response from the Indian government has really been quite positive.鈥�
China鈥檚 response to the suggestion was muted. 鈥淲e hope that countries in the region will do more to promote regional peace and development,鈥� was all that spokesman Mr. Hong would say on Wednesday.聽
