BEIJING — China is a conflicted observer to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s trip to Myanmar, caught between worries about U.S. encirclement in Asia and a desire to see its isolated, at times teetering neighbor become more stable.
The discord is evident in Beijing’s public pronouncements about the U.S. secretary of state’s visit. While the Foreign Ministry expressed support Thursday for Myanmar’s outreach to the West, a top Chinese leader called for closer military relations when meeting Myanmar’s armed-forces commander this week. On state-run television, a commentary appended to footage of Clinton’s arrival showed U.S. aircraft-carrier groups in the Pacific.
“Beijing understands Myanmar’s aspiration to diversify its international engagement and improve relations with the United States. However, Beijing doesn’t wish to see those goals achieved at the expense of China,” said Sun Yun, an expert on China’s foreign relations at the Brookings Institution.
China is Myanmar’s largest economic partner, with $4.4 billion in trade last year and nearly $16 billion in total investment.
