YDS 2021 in Review
2021 is an anthology of articles, photo essays and opinions of students in international relations. With a year full of decade-defining events across the globe, this anthology is a must-read to reflect upon the year that was 2021. This anthology was created by Young Diplomats Society. For more information, please visit our website www.theyoungdiplomats.com.
2021 is an anthology of articles, photo essays and opinions of students in international relations. With a year full of decade-defining events across the globe, this anthology is a must-read to reflect upon the year that was 2021.
This anthology was created by Young Diplomats Society. For more information, please visit our website www.theyoungdiplomats.com.
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Tokyo's significant investment in Myanmar. The major foreign policy themes of the
previous Abe government was the promotion of democratic ideals and increasing
aid development in the Indo-Pacific. The international community rallying against
the military coup through sanctions, the cancelling of programs, and a direct
statement from Kyaw Moe Tun is a clear message to the Suga government to wind
down its aid and investments in Myanmar until order is restored. Currently, Japan
has only issued a statement condemning the coup without any sanctions or other
tangible coercive measures to encourage the restoration of democracy. The
slowness and lack of severity in Tokyo’s reaction highlight its fear that a harsh
response would impact their current role as a development partner, a role that can
be usurped by Beijing.
Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has become a major investor in
Myanmar, fuelling many development projects. Unlike Japan, China has a clear
policy of non-interference in domestic affairs. To this end, China has argued in
international forums that the coup is an internal affair and has blocked sanctions
from the UN. However, conflict is bad for business. Protestors in Myanmar have
targeted Chinese owned factories with vandalism and arson. Amid this rising anti-
Chinese sentiment in Myanmar, Beijing has made requests of the Tatmadaw to
protect oil and gas infrastructure that has been developed as part of the BRI. In
April, Chinese troops began to gather on the border, allegedly to protect these
pipelines. Despite holding a position of non-interference and lack of support for
sanctions, China has backed UN statements calling for the violence to end. It is in
China’s interests to see stability restored in Myanmar. However, it is unlikely to risk
its investments in Myanmar by joining a larger international effort to stop the
violence. Harsher responses from China would greatly undermine its noninterference
policy, affect the rollout of the BRI elsewhere, and result in cooperation
with governments that have been vocal critics of Chinese human rights abuses.
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P H O T O B Y S A W W U N N A O N U N S P L A S H
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