China’s ‘laissez-faire’ approach toward Myanmar’s coup puts its own interests at risk, says analyst

China’s “laissez-faire” approach toward Myanmar’s military coup could hurt the Asian giant’s strategic and economic interests in the Southeast Asian country, said a political risk analyst. In contrast to strong condemnation and sanctions by Western powers — including the U.S. and the European Union — China’s response to the Feb. 1 coup and the violence that followed has been more muted. Beijing has been cautious and is emphasizing the importance of stability.

“But while China may be happy to deal with whoever wields power in Naypyidaw, it is increasingly clear the chain of events the coup unleashed could threaten its interests,” Gareth Price, senior research fellow at the Asia-Pacific program of British think tank Chatham House, said in a March note.

Naypyidaw is the capital city of Myanmar and one of the hotspots for anti-coup protests. Security forces have used increasingly violent tactics to suppress the demonstrations, killing more than 550 civilians, reported Reuters.

Read more