•  bangkok
• Monday, February 14, 2011
• Inter Press Service

China is throwing its weight behind Burma’s predicted political transformation from military rule to a supposed civilian government, deepening its strong economic ties with the resource-rich Southeast Asian nation some have described as Beijing’s 'client state'. China was the first to commend Burma’s new leadership, with President Hu Jintao sending his congratulations within hours after Thein Sein assumed the presidency Feb. 4.

The move is seen as 'another confidence building measure by Beijing towards its western neighbour at a time when many countries in the region, from India to Southeast Asia, have their eyes on engaging economically with Burma,' a Southeast Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

'Beijing wants to have a solid presence on the ground in case the political change leads to a flood of other economic players,' the diplomat added.

China’s gestures toward Burma have come even as Burmese national security experts caution against the rush to accept the new government under President Thein Sein, which is seen as no different from the junta, headed by strongman Senior General Than Shwe, it is replacing.

The 65-year-old Thein Sein, a retired army general and former prime minister in the outgoing military regime, was chosen by lawmakers in the first multi- party parliament since the military grabbed power in a coup nearly 50 years ago.

Thein Sein, however, was practically assured of victory in the legislature, of which 80 percent were military delegates and their political allies. 'Unfortunately the civilian head is a puppet. Thein Sein is weak, less ambitious and lacks a powerful base in the army,' says Win Min, a Burmese national security expert living in exile in the U.S.

'Nothing really has changed,' he told IPS. 'Than Shwe will still be the most powerful man, operating from behind Thein Sein.' Junta or no junta, China has in fact already established a footing in Burma, also called Myanmar. Its economic record bears this out: last year, China invested 8.17 billion dollars, mostly in Burma’s hydropower, oil and gas sectors.

This surge in Chinese investments has brought to 12.3 billion dollars Beijing’s total investments, out of the nearly 20 billion dollars in foreign funds for big- ticket projects that Burma has attracted since it opened its economy up to free market policies in 1988.

The ties between China and the most recent Burmese junta, which held power for two decades till the general election in early November last year, was also aided by the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union for Burma’s dismal human rights record.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service