- Soon after his return from a similar mission to Africa, Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi makes Myanmar first stop of Asian visit
- Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines will also be welcoming Wang with discussions to include infrastructure and the pandemic
, in which he visited five countries and pledged to strengthen cooperation in everything from health and agriculture to military and infrastructure.
His latest tour coincides with the final countdown for Donald Trump’s presidency, as the US continues to reel from the storming last week of the US Capitol, and just days ahead of Biden’s swearing-in as president.
There has been widespread speculation in Asia that Biden will prioritise the rebuilding of its alliance network in the region to counter China’s growing influence. Under the Trump administration, Washington and Beijing have been locked in a bitter geopolitical conflict on numerous fronts – including the South China Sea and Taiwan.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Wang’s six-day mission in the region will include official visits to Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines, as well as Myanmar capital Naypyidaw, where he is due to arrive on Monday.
While Beijing did not reveal details of Wang’s visit, Myanmar news portal The Irrawaddy, quoting senior officials with Myanmar’s foreign ministry, said it would be seen as a move to show support for the country’s National League for Democracy-led government, which is soon to embark on its second term.
During Xi’s visit to Myanmar last January, the two sides signed 33 memorandums of understanding, agreements, exchange letters and protocols, of which 13 were related to infrastructure – most notably, the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone along the Bay of Bengal coast.
There has been little tangible progress since then, partly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and local authorities said the projects would be implemented after their commercial viability had been verified in line with Myanmar’s development plan.
On Sunday, the Philippines’ foreign affairs department said key areas – including “trade and investments, infrastructure development and addressing the pandemic” – would be high on the agenda for Wang’s two-day visit to Manila on Friday and Saturday.