China-Myanmar Community with a Shared Future and its Exemplary Significance

Zhang Ying

Professor， School of International Relations， Beijing Foreign Studies University

Myanmar is an important neighbor country of China locating at the juncture of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In January 2020， Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first overseas trip in the year to Myanmar. Before the visit， he published in Myanmese media a signed article Writing a New Chapter in Our Millennial-Old Pauk-Phaw Friendship， in which he emphasized that China is ready to join hands with friends from Myanmar for building an ever closer China-Myanmar community with a share future and renew the millennial-old pauk-phaw friendship. During the visit， the two countries agreed to build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future in the spirit of equality， mutual benefit and win-win results， which bears great significance and far-reaching impact.

The Traditional Friendship

is the Emotional Basis for the China-Myanmar Community with

a Shared Future

China and Myanmar are close neighbors with a history of 1000 years of exchanges and long-standing “pauk-phaw” friendship. In Myanmese， pauk-phaw means twin brothers. Since modern times， China and Myanmar have traversed similar path， as both suffered from the twofold oppression of colonialism and imperialism and fought against the aggression of Japanese imperialism together. After the Second World War， both established new state system. Myanmar was the first non-socialist country which recognized the Peoples Republic of China. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties， Premier Zhou Enlai visited or stopped in Myanmar nine times. In the 1950s， China， Myanmar and India jointly initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， which remains to be the basic norms guiding bilateral and even international relations to date. On the eve of the 1955 Asian-African Conference （Bandung Conference）， leaders of China and Myanmar held close consultations which promoted the successful convening of the Conference， and thus made important contributions to multilateralism and regional cooperation. In the 1960s， the two countries negotiated and signed a border treaty in the spirit of consultation on an equal footing， mutual understanding and mutual accommodation， successfully resolving the boundary issue and providing an example for other countries to follow.

Since the 21st century， China-Myanmar relations have developed rapidly. In 2011， China and Myanmar issued a joint statement in which both agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. From 17 to 18 January 2020， President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Myanmar， the first visit to the country by a Chinese President since entering the 21st century. During the visit， President Xi Jinping held talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi， during which leaders of the two countries stated that the two sides will actively build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future. Aung San Suu Kyi said that the “pauk-phaw” friendship has stood the test of changing times， and it is only Myanmar and China can fathom it. Leaders of both countries also attended a number of text exchange ceremonies of cooperation documents， during which 29 cooperation documents in various fields were signed. The two countries issued the Joint Statement between the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar， agreeing to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

From the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1950 to 2020， China-Myanmar relations have lasted for 70 years. Thanks to the efforts of new and old generations of politicians of the two countries， China-Myanmar friendship has been constantly moving forward， especially in recent years when leaders of the two countries have maintained close contacts and enhanced political mutual trust. The traditional “pauk-phaw” friendship established by politicians from two countries serves as the emotional basis for building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

The Development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor Represents the Converging Interests of the China-Myanmar Community with a Shared Future

The development of China-Myanmar Economic Corridor（CMEC） is not only important to the Belt and Road initiative and Chinas energy security， but also directly determines whether Myanmar will have a leap forward in its social and economic development. It represents the converging interests in building a community with a shared future between China and Myanmar.

First， top-level design has promoted CMECs development. At the end of 2017， China proposed to build a herringbone-shaped CMEC. The proposed Corridor will connect Chinas Yunnan Province with Mandalay of Myanmar and extend to Rangoon New City and Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone in east-west direction. Myanmar gave a positive response to this proposal. In 2017， Myanmar set up steering committee for Belt and Road initiative chaired by Aung San Suu Kyi and joined by a number of government ministers and chief ministers of provinces. In 2018， China and Myanmar signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Building the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and established the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor Joint Committee. During the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April 2019， the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding on China-Myanmar Economic Corridor Cooperation Plan （2019-2030）. In January 2020 during President Xi Jinpings visit to Myanmar， the two sides signed the Joint Statement which stated that the two sides would “strengthen Belt and Road cooperation and move the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor from the stage of conceptual planning to substantive development.” It has only taken two years to deliver the proposal on ground， which demonstrates the crucial role top-level design and high-level interaction between China and Myanmar have played in the process.

Second， the CMEC under the Belt and Road cooperation framework will become a win-win. China and Myanmar are highly complementary in their respective economy. China has long been Myanmars largest trading partner and most important source of investment and tourists. The Corridor serves to align Belt and Road initiative and the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan （2018-2030）， improve Myanmars infrastructure and help attract more foreign investment into Myanmar， thus giving a positive push to its economic development. The Belt and Road flagship projects between the two countries， such as China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline Project， Letpadaung Copper Mine， Tagaung Taung Nickel Mine invested by CNMC， and Kyaukse Power Station undertaken by a Chinese enterprise， have all boosted Myanmars employment and economic development， and greatly improved peoples living standards. Since the oil and gas pipeline project was put into operation， Myanmar has received every year state tax revenue， investment dividends， road rights fees， transit fees， training funds and social and economic assistance funds. As of 30 November 2019， it has brought direct economic benefits to Myanmar of US $520 million. For China， the construction of the CMEC is not only conducive to Chinas energy security， but also to its opening up in the new era. In particular， it will directly elevate the economic integration between China， Southeast Asia and South Asia. The cooperation between China and Myanmar under Belt and Road framework not only maximizes interests for the two countries but also brings tangible benefits to the two peoples.

Third， the delivery of demonstration projects marks the transition of the CMEC from concept to substantive development. On 18 January 2020， President Xi Jinping and Aung San Suu Kyi witnessed the agreement exchange ceremony for the Deepwater Port project of Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone， marking the transition of the CMEC from concept to substantive planning and development. During the previous formal talks between President Xi Jinping and Aung San Suu Kyi， the two sides agreed to give full play to the exemplary role of the Kyaukpyu Project as a driving force for the CMEC， and speed up the development of the China-Myanmar border economic cooperation zone and Yangon New City， the two of which， together with the oil and gas pipeline project， constitute the most important element of Belt and Road initiative in Myanmar.

In general， arrangements for China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone have been basically in place. RMB has been approved by the Central Bank of Myanmar as the official settlement currency to facilitate trade and investment in the development of the CMEC. The smooth progress of these major projects has laid a solid foundation for the establishment of the CMEC.

Mutual Support in International Affairs is the Moral Foundation of the China-Myanmar Community with a Shared Future

Xi Jinpings report at 19th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that Chinas major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics aims to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity， and sets out the overall goal of Chinas diplomacy in the new era. In pursuing major country diplomacy China is bound to be a responsible major country. As developed countries dominates the voice of todays world， some small， weak and poor countries are unable to safeguard their rights and interests in the international community. For China to take up its responsibility， it needs to represent and safeguard the interests of developing countries and help them to the best of its ability so that they can enjoy the dividends of world development. It also needs to uphold fairness and justice， oppose interference by external forces in the internal affairs of other countries， and uphold the principle that each countrys development should be determined by its own people.

First， we need to always uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. In the early days since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China， the Common Program of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference， which served as interim Constitution， clarified the diplomatic principle of mutual respect for territorial sovereignty. In the mid-1950s， the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai explicitly stated the non-interference in each others internal affairs. During his visit to Myanmar， President Xi Jinping made it clear in his talks with U Win Myint that “to build a community with a shared future for humanity， we should start with neighbors by committing to an amicable， secure and prosperous neighborhood.” During his talks with Aung San Suu Kyi， President Xi stressed that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have set an example for state-to-state exchanges and made historic contributions to the building of a new type of international relations. China is committed to non-interference in other countries internal affairs， supports Myanmar in advancing domestic peace process and realizing national reconciliation， and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in this regard. In the new era， it is of special significance to the development of China-Myanmar relations to carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and adhere to non-interference in other countries internal affairs. As China and Myanmar are neighbors and enjoy a long history of cultural exchanges， it is all the more important for China to do so and enhance mutual trust with its neighbors so as to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Second， we need to support each other on issues concerning each others core interests and major concerns. On the issue of Myanmese domestic peace and reconciliation， China has played a constructive role in promoting peace talks. On the Myanmar part， it adheres to the One-China principle and firmly supports China on issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity and others that concern Chinas core interests. Myanmar has been criticized and suppressed by western countries for its northern part and the so-called Rohingya issue in Rakhine State. In September 2017 at a Special UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar issue， Nikki Haley， the then US resident representative to the UN， denounced Myanmars actions in Rakhine state as ethnic cleansing. In November， the then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement， again accusing Myanmar of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya people， saying accountability must be met and the US could impose sanctions. The so-called Rohingya issue has received sympathy and support from many international human rights organizations and western and Islamic countries. In 2017， the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning possible crimes against humanity against Rohingya people. China was one of three countries to vote against it， as China hopes to resolve the human rights issue through constructive dialogue and cooperation， and believes that relevant resolutions adopted at the special session of the Human Rights Council will not help ease the situation and solve the problem， but may further complicate it. As suggested by China， the issue should be properly handled through bilateral channels between Bangladesh and Myanmar; and only an agreement acceptable to all parties concerned can be deliverable， sustainable and gain the understanding and support in the countries concerned. China has spoken out from a sense of justice， demonstrating its due responsibility as a major country. As for Chinas moral support， Aung San Suu Kyi said that Myanmar would always stand by China. “It goes without saying that neighbors can only unite as one”; “Neighbors are not an option” and Myanmar will stand with China “until the end of the world”. In a formal meeting with President Xi Jinping， Aung San Suu Kyi said that Chinas support was not self-serving and was valuable to a small country like Myanmar; Myanmar will never accept some countries interference in other countries internal affairs under the pretext of human rights， ethnic and religious issues; Myanmar hopes that China will continue to uphold justice for it and other small and medium-sized countries on international occasions and play a constructive role in promoting the domestic peace process in Myanmar.

Third， China and Myanmar have cooperated closely in regional and sub-regional issues. Since the 18th CPC National Congress， China has acted upon the foreign policy of building friendship and partnership with its neighbors and building an amicable， secure and prosperous neighborhood， and actively promoted the in-depth development of China-Myanmar and China-ASEAN relations. Myanmar also attaches importance to and takes an active part in cooperation under the China-ASEAN mechanism. As a close neighbor of China among the ten ASEAN countries， Myanmar has the longest land border with China of more than 2，100 kilometers. The development of China-Myanmar relations is of exemplary significance to that between China and ASEAN countries. In recent years， the two countries have maintained close coordination in the 10+3 mechanism， China-ASEAN Free Trade Area， the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation， Greater Mekong Sub-region Economic Cooperation， China and Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor， Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation， consultation on South China Sea Code of Conduct and others. Our experience in regional and sub-regional cooperation is worth summarizing and promotion. At present， unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise， and traditional and non-traditional security issues in East Asia are increasing. Against this backdrop， China and Myanmar takes it as their common commitment to “enhance coordination and cooperation， open up a new chapter in regional peace and stability”， adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， support mutually on issues relating to each others core interests and major concerns， and promote the development of multilateralism and multilateral mechanism in southeast Asia. Such commitment constitutes the moral foundation for building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

The concept of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future was jointly put forward by China and Myanmar， which “profoundly explains the special interdependent relationship between China and Myanmar that shares weal and woe.” The special relationship here is not the likes of US-UK alliance， but a deeper “pauk-phaw” one. Since the COVID-19 outbreak， China and Myanmar have extended mutual assistance and worked hand in hand in response to it， demonstrating with concrete actions what underpins the China-Myanmar community with a shared future and truly showcasing the “pauk-phaw” friendship between the two in times of adversity. The China-Myanmar community with a shared future marked by the “pauk-phaw” friendship will serve as an exemplary tole to the building of a community with a shared future between China and ASEAN and even for humanity.