Burma and the strategic competition between China and India

Burma (now officially known as Myanmar)(1) occupies a critical geostrategic position. It is where South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia meet. It lies between two regional giants, China and India, with which it shares long and permeable borders populated by rebellious ethnic groups and independent armies. For centuries Burma has offered southern China a trade outlet on the Indian Ocean, and during the Second World War it provided the Allies in India with their only land route to the Nationalist Chinese regime in Chungking. During the anti-communist struggles of the 1950s Burma was considered by the Western democracies to be an Asian 'domino' of as much value as Thailand or Vietnam. Burma's strategic importance declined after 1962, when it withdrew into self-imposed isolation, but since 1988 it has once again emerged as an important factor in regional security calculations. In particular, changes in Burma's relations with China and India, and the resulting shift in the regional power balance, have far-reaching implications. Not surprisingly, analysts examining the complex relationship between China, Burma and India have tended to focus on the roles and concerns of China and India. Because of their greater size and influence in world affairs, these countries have demanded attention in ways that Burma has not. Yet Burma's own policies and unique perspectives cannot be ignored. Indeed, if they are taken fully into account, it is possible to see strategic developments in this part of the world since 1988 from a different and arguably more balanced point of view. Also, if Burma can successfully manage its developing relations with its two largest neighbours, then the regional security outlook may not be quite as uncertain or unstable as some observers have suggested.