Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday for an official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Aung San Suu Kyi, as a sign of China's active approach to improving its ties with Myanmar. Wang's tour indicates China's undaunted resolve and readiness to renew the bilateral friendship and promote pragmatic cooperation with Myanmar's new administration.
As the first Chinese foreign minister to visit the Southeast Asian nation after Myanmar's power transfer in the wake of the country's general elections last November, Wang is expected in his two-day visit to meet Myanmar's high-level officials and reiterate China's confidence in the promising prospect of bilateral exchanges.
The tour comes in part as a result of recent goodwill gestures extended by leaders of the two countries. Soon after Suu Kyi became Myanmar's foreign minister in late March, Wang sent a congratulatory message on her appointment, vowing to enhance the two nation's collaboration and bring tangible benefits to the two peoples, a lasting goal of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
For her part, Suu Kyi, in her debut visit to China last June, has impressed the Chinese with her legendary history and personal charisma, and more reassuringly, her thorough understanding of the China-Myanmar brotherly bonds, as well as her commitment to maintaining the friendly ties.
These positive gestures carry more strategic significance than ever, since changes in Myanmar's political spectrum once strained bilateral relations. Several major investments of China in Myanmar, including a dam and a copper mine, were brought to a standstill. Last May saw further discord as Myanmar shells fell into China's southwest Yunnan Province, causing casualties and damage. Also, Myanmar's power transfer has triggered wedge-driving rumors by some forces in an attempt to badmouth the China-Myanmar ties.
Considering the depth and width of the bilateral cooperation,these disturbances are no more than some growing pains almost inevitable to the two neighbors that share a long border of 2,200 kms. It has increasingly become the consensus of both sides to settle these disputes by deepening their friendly communication, mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation.
Furthermore, the utmost urgency for the new Myanmar government is to develop economy and improve the people's livelihood. As Myanmar's largest neighbor, investor and trading partner, China's role in Myanmar's future growth strategy and foreign policy is undisputable and will be highlighted more in this process. A prosperous and stable Myanmar meshes well with China's interests.
To support Myanmar's opening up to the world, China welcomes its riding on the coattails of China's robust growth, and its greater participation in the regional cooperative mechanisms, such as the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative. The two countries are now highly anticipated to release more good faith and develop the bilateral relations from a long-term strategic perspective, so as to steward their traditional friendship towards a more dynamic and pragmatic direction.
Latest comments