Wai Yan Phyo Naing

The Specificity of Myanmar’s Relations with China in the Beginning of the XXI Century (2001-2010)

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2020, №4(49), 145-153

 
Annotation: The article gives a critical insight into Myanmar’s relations with China between 2000 and 2010. Starting from an analysis of the political vector of these relations, the article explores the specificity of economic coopera-tion, including China’s investment in Myanmar’s infrastructure projects to finally turn to the grass-root perception of China’s policy in Myanmar. In the author’s opinion, China’s influence in Myanmar should not be overestimated owing to a gap between official declarations of the Tatmadaw regime and the grassroot-level Sinophobia premised upon perceptions that Chinese business practices were inefficient, corrupted, and were implemented without due regard to the interests of local citizens.

Keywords: Myanmar-China relations, political contacts, bilateral trade, infrastructure projects, local perceptions, Sinophobia