Maintain Stability, Make Compromise: Myanmar’s Relations with China After the 2021 Coup d’État

Abstract

Departing from the perspectives of geostrategy and bilateral relations, and elaborating on Myanmar’s geopolitical position within China’s strategic context, this paper examines the reasons behind the tendency towards stabilization and compromise between the two countries following the 2021 coup d’état in Myanmar. Studies have found that from a geostrategic perspective, Myanmar’s uniquely significant strategic position has led to China’s reluctance to take a hardline stance when it comes to military coups in Myanmar. From the angle of bilateral relations, a strong sense of “relationalism” is observed in the exchanges between China and Myanmar. While China’s primary expectation is for existing interests and tacit understanding to remain unaffected after the coup, the military regime has also chosen to deepen its ties with China in exchange for support as Myanmar’s civil war continues to spiral out of control. Under this interest oriented trade-off, China–Myanmar bilateral relations seem unshaken or undamaged after the 2021 coup.