Why Myanmar’s closer ties to India are unlikely to give China cause for concern

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s back-to-back visits to India and China have been described as an effort to avoid becoming overdependent on either country, but…

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s back-to-back visits to India and China have been described as an effort to avoid becoming overdependent on either country, but analysts said there was little reason to think it would erode Beijing’s “overarching influence”.

The former military leader’s visit to India was his first trip abroad since assuming the presidency in April and saw the two countries agreeing to increase cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and defence.

They also pledged to renew efforts to complete two key transport links, the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which aims to boost maritime links and provide landlocked Indian states with access to the Bay of Bengal via Myanmar.

The two projects have been delayed for years due to the ongoing anti-government insurgency that has left large parts of Myanmar under the control of rebel groups.

In a social media post, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the talks had also covered ways to deepen cooperation in rare earths, but Myanmar’s statements did not mention the topic.

Zhang Tian, an associate professor specialising in Myanmar studies at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said the India trip’s symbolic value “outweighed its practical significance” by helping legitimise Min Aung Hlaing’s presidency.

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