Illustration: Liu Rui
Last Friday, some Kachin activists based in Thailand demonstrated in
front of the Chinese and US consulates in Chiang Mai, calling for the
two to help end the attack of the Myanmese government forces on the
Kachin Independent Army (KIA).Before that, the US embassy in Myanmar had expressed deep concern over the Kachin conflict in northern Myanmar. Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a rebuke to the US embassy, which Myanmar thought was taking the side of the KIA.
The conflict is happening in northern Myanmar, close to the Chinese border. Shells have constantly fallen into Chinese territory.
The Kachin in Myanmar and the Jingpo in Yunnan Province are actually the same ethnic group. Therefore, China is also quite concerned about the conflict.
Although the US is situated far from Myanmar, it does not turn a blind eye to the conflict. Politically and economically, Myanmar is not far from the US, and sometimes even closer than to Beijing.
This could be seen in the Kachin activists' demand for the US to intervene. Even though the US is located far away, they still turned to the US for help, which has embarrassed their neighbor, China, whose role is increasing on the world stage.
The Kachin activists know that the US is still a hyper-power that can influence the region's political and economic situation.
Meanwhile, China has not played a full role in solving ethnic conflicts for Myanmar. Due to the restraint of China's own policies and its failure to achieve any conflict-solving victories for a long time, the US has gained more leverage in dealing with such conflicts.
The purpose of the US pivot to Asia is to balance China's rise. China faces the same question of how to balance the US influence in the region.
US political scientist Joseph Nye recently wrote in the New York Times that "America's rebalancing toward Asia should not be aggressive." In my eyes, China needs to be more aggressive, otherwise the situation won't be balanced at all.
So far China has not done enough in promoting a solution to the Kachin conflict. It has failed to take a pivotal role in setting and maintaining peace in the region. This has given the chance for the US to create regional tension by making use of past conflicts.
The impact of the Cold War in Southeast Asia is fading, but it still retains inertia. Not only does the US deal with regional affairs with a Cold War mentality at times, but also some Southeast Asian countries turn to the US for the sake of their own interests, a practice left by the Cold War.
To what extent China can balance the US in terms of dealing with regional affairs partly depends on how large a role it can play in solving internal problems within the region and easing regional tensions.
If the US influence in the region will not pose a threat to China's role, as China hopes, and the illusions of some about containing China are to be eliminated, China should face the problems such as the northern Myanmar conflict with a more positive attitude.
China can do this. But it faces two challenges. One is how it can effectively deal with conflicts like the one in Myanmar through peaceful means so as to stabilize the region as soon as possible. The other is how to handle its relationship with the US. The US still takes a leading role in Southeast Asia and the ideas it advocates can generate strong political influence in the region.
China should learn to enlarge its influence and not to have direct confrontation with the US even after the US influence has penetrated the region.
The more China can show its strength in issues of the development, stability and security in Southeast Asia, the more it feels confident to act on an equal footing with the US, and the more Asian countries can benefit from China's development.
The author is a senior editor with the People's Daily. He's now stationed in Bangkok. dinggang@globaltimes.com.cn
Myanmar, Kachin rebels agree to hold peace talks in China
 Kachin rebels guard an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last outposts defending Laiza, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region on Thursday. Alexander F. Yuan / Associated Press |
The meeting will be held in the Chinese border town of Ruili, which has seen three rounds of talks since a 17-year cease-fire between them broke down in June 2011.
The Chinese government "will take a role as a witness and mediate during the meeting", said the Kachin Independence Army on Saturday, urging "the Kachin community, our friends and supporters around the world to pray for our leaders".
Observers said China, which was directly affected by its neighbor's conflicts when four bombs landed on Chinese soil recently, is going to play a constructive role in the meeting in an effort to find a breakthrough in tensions.
The recent fighting has involved the use of fighter jets and helicopter gunships.
The bombs that landed in China caused no casualties, but the conflict has affected the lives of those living nearby, as well as trade across the border.
Beijing representatives have already met with counterparts in Myanmar, urging the government to agree to a cease-fire and take measures to ensure peace and security are maintained on the border between the two countries.
Various senior officials, including Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army Qi Jianguo, visited Myanmar in January.
Zhang Xuegang, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Beijing's mediation - based on the mutual respect of both Myanmar's government and local rebel groups - will act as an influential force to avoid any reverse in progress made during previous negotiations, and did not go against its core foreign policy of non-interference.
Qi Jianguo, a former Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, who is no relation to the deputy chief of the general staff of the PLA, added that both Myanmar's government and the KIA would welcome China's mediation, but that it was difficult for either of them to soften stances overnight.
The two sides have met at least eight times but failed to agree on terms for a lasting truce.
The Myanmar government's priority is a cease-fire, which the KIA has refused until concrete political terms are offered.
Shortly after the government announced a unilateral cease-fire on Jan 18, the KIA accused Myanmar troops of attacking northeast Kachin.
In an announcement on state-owned MRTV on Friday, the government said it was preparing to hold talks with the KIA and its political arm, the Kachin Independence Organization, with other ethnic minority groups that had already agreed truces helping to facilitate the dialogue.
The Kachin, like Myanmar's many other ethnic minority groups, have long sought greater autonomy from the central government.
Myanmar has agreed to cease-fires with 10 groups since late 2011, leaving the conflict with the KIA as the only one still unresolved.
Zhang said a truce with the KIA would "substantially" improve the government's reconciliation with all the ethnic minority groups, while solidifying ongoing reforms by President U Thein Sein's administration, which would in turn improve the prosperity of the Mekong subregion.
Reuters and AP contributed to this story.
zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn
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