Friday, 16 December 2011 17:30 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) – Aung San Suu Kyi has reached out to the Chinese ambassador in Rangoon, according to China’s foreign minister, who said the two met privately, according to a Reuters news agency report. He declined to say when or where the meeting took place.
The meeting would mark the highest-level contact in two decades between China and Burma’s opposition.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China's top diplomat, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, would travel to Burma for a meeting next week of Mekong River countries.
Liu said that ambassador Li Junhua's meeting with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was in response to a request from her.
The ambassador "listened to Aung San Suu Kyi's ideas," he said.
Suu Kyi's chief of staff, Khun Tha Myint, told Reuters that the meeting happened on Dec. 8 at Suu Kyi's residence, and lasted just over one hour.
"The meeting went very well," he said. "It was very cordial and friendly."
China is Burma’s closest foreign ally, but relations took a step back after the new Burmese government suspended the construction of Burma’s largest hydropower project in September, which was funded by China. Almost all of the electricity would have gone to China.
China also invests heavily in infrastructure, an oil and gas pipeline to transport fuel to southern China and other basic resource areas.
Recently, the U.S. has approached Burma in an effort to establish a closer relationship, and help the once-isolated country to move forward on democratic reforms.
Suu Kyi’s move comes only a few weeks after the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Burma. Observers say the U.S. and China are engaged in a not-so-subtle effort to protect their geo-political interests in Burma, which forms a buffer between China and India.
(Mizzima) – Aung San Suu Kyi has reached out to the Chinese ambassador in Rangoon, according to China’s foreign minister, who said the two met privately, according to a Reuters news agency report. He declined to say when or where the meeting took place.
The meeting would mark the highest-level contact in two decades between China and Burma’s opposition.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China's top diplomat, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, would travel to Burma for a meeting next week of Mekong River countries.
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| Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi Photo: Mizzima |
Liu said that ambassador Li Junhua's meeting with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was in response to a request from her.
The ambassador "listened to Aung San Suu Kyi's ideas," he said.
Suu Kyi's chief of staff, Khun Tha Myint, told Reuters that the meeting happened on Dec. 8 at Suu Kyi's residence, and lasted just over one hour.
"The meeting went very well," he said. "It was very cordial and friendly."
China is Burma’s closest foreign ally, but relations took a step back after the new Burmese government suspended the construction of Burma’s largest hydropower project in September, which was funded by China. Almost all of the electricity would have gone to China.
China also invests heavily in infrastructure, an oil and gas pipeline to transport fuel to southern China and other basic resource areas.
Recently, the U.S. has approached Burma in an effort to establish a closer relationship, and help the once-isolated country to move forward on democratic reforms.
Suu Kyi’s move comes only a few weeks after the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Burma. Observers say the U.S. and China are engaged in a not-so-subtle effort to protect their geo-political interests in Burma, which forms a buffer between China and India.
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