With democracy in Myanmar seemingly moving forward as if mounted on a freight train and the Chinese vote in the UN Security Council yesterday in favor a resolution condemning the DPRK for its rocket launch last Friday, are we seeing the results of a reassessment by the Chinese government, even during a leadership transition year when policy changes are presumably destabilizing and thus verboten, of the policy of having Asian pariah states as its clients forming "a buffer zone around China" or giving access to the Indian Ocean and natural gas? Are dictatorial regimes that isolate states from the rest of the world and leave their citizens in dire poverty now seen as being more trouble than can be justified?
Just asking.
Perhaps, but from where I sit, the developments in Burma appear to have originated with the Burmese rulers themselves, as a reaction against putting all of their eggs in the China basket, or becoming a de facto vassal state.
ReplyDeleteHow much control does China have over what goes on in Burma, anyway?
I assume they have much more influence over the DPRK, but while they've censured Pyongyang over the missile, I doubt they are in any hurry to see democratization or regime change there...
TheStrawMan -
ReplyDeleteMy question is whether or not Chinese leaders now feel sufficiently reassured that they can influence even democratic regimes to bend to their will that there is no longer a categorical need to prop up pariah regimes of client states.