‘No Reason Not to Be Friends，' Says Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

By Zhang Yunfei



‘No Reason Not to Be Friends，' Says Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

By Zhang Yunfei

With her party's victory in the general election in Myanmar in her capacity as leader and founder of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will have a decisive role to play in Myanmar's future. During an interview with China's Xinhua News Agency, she said Myanmar will give more importance to ties with China so the two nations can enjoy a better relationship.

‘No Reason Not to Be Friends'

On November 17, 2015, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency reporters in the parliament building in Naypyidaw. It was nine days afer the National League for Democracy's victory in the national election. In that time, she had given only two interviews to foreign media, the other being with the Washington Post.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's knowledge of China began in childhood. Her mother Daw Khin Kyi once took her to an activity held by the Chinese Embassy in Yangon, an event she said was deeply embedded in her mind. She recalled an embassy representative gave her a child's cheongsam that she loved very much.

Talking about Myanmar-China relations, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said： “China is our neighbor. Our relations with China should be handled in a more prudent and clever way than those with other, more distant countries. Because of this, we will pay more attention to relations with neighbors and maintain good ties with them.

“To be friends calls for both parties to have sincerity. So long as both parties have sincerity, there is no reason for us not to be friends.”

Currently, China is the largest source of foreign investment in Myanmar, making up 30 percent of the total. In terms of trade, China also accounts for 30 percent of the total.

‘Whatever Problem Can be Overcome'

China and Myanmar maintain close economic and trade contacts and seek better cooperation in days ahead. In recent years, however, Chinese businesses in Myanmar have faced challenges and pressure. When asked about the policies the NLD Government will adopt to attract more business investment from China and other countries, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said： “Te key to success for Chinese investment in Myanmar does not lie in the policies the NLD Government will adopt, what matters is popular acceptance. The Myanmar people see foreign investment as a boon for national economic development.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said cultural understanding remains vital to successful investment projects.

“Frankly speaking, popular favor is the most important factor for both Chinese and other foreign investment to be successful in Myanmar,” she said. “With the constant deepening of understanding, bilateral cooperation relationship will be more friendly.”

A Ministry of Foreign Afairs spokesperson in Beijing had previously stated the Chinese Government encouraged Chinese enterprises to conduct cooperation with Myanmar on the principle of mutual benefit, and would make efforts to ensure their projects help promote economic development of Myanmar so as to beneft both peoples.

In 2012, not long after the construction of the Chinese-funded Letpadaung Copper Mine in Myanmar, local villagers expressed dissatisfaction. Protests escalated into demonstrations, making it difficult for the project to proceed normally. At the end of that year, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as chair of a Commission of Inquiry, began to evaluate the project. Te committee's fnal report held that the project should continue with some adjustments. Many experts were in the view that, had it not been for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, no objective report would have emerged from the evaluation and the copper project would likely have been shelved.

“Neighbors will face problems, but they can be settled,” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. “All can be overcome so long as neighbors maintain mutual respect. China is a huge country. Although Myanmar is small, we have confidence in ourselves. We believe that China and Myanmar will cooperate and work together for world peace and stability and development.”

Not the Time to Do It Alone

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has her own views with regard to Myanmar's future foreign policy.

“We believe Myanmar has followed a correct foreign policy ever since its independence,”she said. “I also believe we will be able to successfully pursue such a foreign policy in the future.”

Myanmar's foreign policy since independence can be summarized as follows： develop friendly relations with all countries in the world； stress the importance of Myanmar's relations with big powers； and give priority to pursuing good neighborly relations. It is, in essence, a policy featuring neutrality and nonalignment. In a nutshell, Myanmar follows a policy of balanced big power diplomacy and pursuing maximum interests.

When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest for the third time in November 2010, she repeatedly responded to media questions on China and her answers were, on the whole, positive and friendly.

“We can never say we have nothing to do with things that happen in any corner of the world,” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. “As a matter of fact, all countries in the world are interrelated, and the interrelation is even closer among neighbors. China hopes to see Myanmar enjoy development, stability and peace. We also hope our neighbors and the region we live in will live in peace and stability, simply because this will exert infuence on Myanmar.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her appreciation and support for the Belt and Road Initiative.

“I learned of the Silk Road when I was young,” she said. “It is an artistic and romantic road. I hope the Belt and Road Initiative will be a project benefting all.”

Throughout the interview, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi showed a pragmatic desire for Myanmar's development. China's Myanmar experts believe that political figures who rise under specific historical conditions are often deemed to be advocates of democratic values in the West, but she is actually a woman who has a deep understanding of the traditional culture of Myanmar and political realities. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has grown from an idealist when she frst mounted the political stage to a nationalist politician who deals with things in a pragmatic way.