China Firm Against Myanmar Sanctions

Stance On Trading Partner, Security Council Veto Power Blocks U.N. Pressure On Junta

(AP)  China stood firm Tuesday in opposing the use of sanctions or pressure to resolve the crisis in Myanmar - a stance that effectively blocks the U.N. Security Council from taking tough action against the country's military government.

The United States has warned that it would push for U.N. sanctions against Myanmar if it fails to move toward democracy after recent widespread public protests there. But China, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council and Myanmar's biggest trading partner, signaled its continued opposition to such action.

"Sanctions or pressure will not help to solve the issue in Myanmar," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news conference.

Though he did not say if Beijing would use its veto, Liu said the Security Council should seek to bolster what he said was the calmer atmosphere in Myanmar in recent days.

"We hope this momentum can be maintained. Any move by the Security Council should be prudent and responsible and be conducive to the ... efforts of the U.N. secretary-general, and conducive to achieving stability, reconciliation, democracy and the development of Myanmar," Liu said.

Myanmar's ruling junta said Tuesday it hoped to achieve "smooth relations" with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after suggesting her release from house arrest was unlikely to happen soon.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a mouthpiece of the junta, printed a brief official announcement on its front page saying Deputy Labor Minister Aung Kyi had been appointed "minister for relations" to coordinate contacts with Suu Kyi, the country's democracy icon.

However, Suu Kyi's party issued a statement Tuesday calling for no preconditions for dialogue with the military junta.

The junta's leaders have offered to meet with Suu Kyi, but only on condition she renounce calls for international sanctions against the military regime.

"The success of a dialogue is based on sincerity and the spirit of give and take," said the statement by the National League for Democracy. "The will for achieving success is also crucial and there should not be any preconditions."

Liu also dismissed comments by some activists who want to link China's action on pressuring the government in Myanmar with the Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing next year.

"As everyone knows China has adopted a responsible attitude in addressing the Myanmar issue, and China has played a constructive role in the process," he said.

"Attempts to use this issue for ulterior motives cannot gain popular support."

The violence peaked late last month in Myanmar when government troops crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in Myanmar with gunfire on Sept. 26 and 27.

The regime said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put the toll at up to 200 and say 6,000 people were detained, including thousands of monks who led the rallies.

Protests erupted Aug. 19 after the government raised fuel prices, but anger mushroomed into broad-based marches by tens of thousands demanding democratic reforms.

The government has continued to round up suspected activists, although some people have been released and security in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, has gradually eased.

China has developed close diplomatic ties with junta leaders and is hungry for the country's bountiful oil and gas resources.

[realpatriot1]

Our hands aren''t tied with China because they hold our debt, our trade is what fuels their economic which allows them to purchase our debt. We are economic co-dependents.

That economic interdependence is no reason to keep silent on issues of morality.

We need to remind China that the amount of trade they enjoy with Burma & Sudan pales in comparison with their trade with the U.S. and the EU.

Economic sanctions don''t work well when a despotic regime can pass the suffering onto its citizens while blaming the mean old U.S. That won''t work for China in this situation because they depend upon our trade and the growth it fuels to placate their public and keep the rural poor from revolting.

The U.N. Security Council won''t be able to act because China & Russia have veto power to block action.

Government sponsered sanctions against Burma & Sudan won''t be that effective and government-sponsered sanctions against China & Russia would lead to retaliation against American goods.

Individuals and businesses can make a statement, particularly to the Chinese by seeking out products not made in China until the Chinese accept a more responsible role as a global leader.

This goes not only for their relationships with Burma & Sudan but also, as Prinzowhales has pointed out, their oppression of Tibet & Nepal and their own people.

[xzavierbrown]

okay now we know what china thinks..let us see what the UN REACT TO THAT.

watch closely and learn..this lesson in liberal incompetence will be paid with burmese blood.

[xzavierbrown]

It''''s a bit difficult for the Bush administration to get on China''''s case about this issue , since we owe them billions of dollars of our national debt, money used in part to finance the war in Iraq!

Posted by nolalou at 10:27 AM : Oct 09, 2007
+ report abuse

*******

and all this time I thought the UN was in charge and not bush..or not unless you really dont give a sh*t about china nor burma but just love that fact that you can inject a bit of anti-bush

[xzavierbrown]

Posted by ozilot at 02:45 PM : Oct 09, 2007
+ report abuse

*******

I love you philosophy..it renders burma fu cked.

[mitywhity]

Of course China opposes any action that they themselves deserve. China has never shrugged off the "Sick Man of Asia" moniker and they never will because they are the sickest of the sick!

[sevenveils]

Democracy gains in Burma would only push the issue closer to China. It''s party members strongly oppose any opposition to their monopoly of government.

[cbs_oliver]

"China has developed close diplomatic ties with junta leaders and is hungry for the country''s bountiful oil and gas resources."

And China likes quiet beaches and walks in the moonlight.

AP writers - whoever they may be - should provide some specific statements by Chinese officials or data regarding Chinese activities to back up such kinds of comments.

[leannekao]

It is no surprise that China chose to side with the Myanmar junta. Myanmar, together with Iran, North Korea, and Sudan, all have one big thing in common: they are all good friends with China.

Iran and North Korea have nuclear ambitions. Myanmar and Sudan are engaged in mass slaughter. All four routinely violate human rights. Yet China has used its power and influence to shield these friends both politically and economically. As the Italians say, %u201CTell me with whom you go, and I''ll tell you what you are.%u201D

In this new axis of evil, China seems to be the center spoke. China has proven that neither freedom nor democracy is necessary to become a world power. Rather, its unchecked success has given totalitarian dictatorships like Iran and North Korea the daring to assert their nuclear ambitions boldly.

The world is looking to China to exert a positive influence on the violent, dictatorial governments with which it has ties; yet violence and repression are not uncommon in China itself. %u201CBirds of a feather%u201D may be trite, but it is apt. We need to wake up to the fact that China does not promote stability and peace %u2013 if anything, it encourages war.

[prinzowhales]

The sad thing is that there has been no resolution introduced to sanction Red China for its ongoing oppression of Tibet, its murder of prisoners to obtain organs for the American and world ''spare parts'' market...and collagen for the dessicated faces of the thin lipped spinsters of New York.

Myanmar is simply the erruption of a pimple, China-- with its business partners in America, UK, Israel and elsewhere is at the center of a vast systemic putresence stretching from the Far East to Wall Street and the City....Hail Money, Full of Grace...

[nolalou]

It''s a bit difficult for the Bush administration to get on China''s case about this issue , since we owe them billions of dollars of our national debt, money used in part to finance the war in Iraq!

[mudrose-2009]

"...conducive to achieving ...democracy..."
What does a communist country mean when it says it wants its largest trading partner to "achieve democracy"? This phrase alone says that China''''s explanation about why it is vetoing the UN action is not just bull, but an utterly transparent lie.
Posted by sigotratando

China won''t do anything about achieving democracy in Burma as it won''t in Dafur. It has influence in both places and you wanna know why? OIL!!!!!!!!! But, of course, it''s always the USA that is blamed for scrambling for oil - we never look at these two giants China and Russia is their attempts to be sure no one else gets their hands on the black gold.

[sigotratando]

"...conducive to achieving ...democracy..."
What does a communist country mean when it says it wants its largest trading partner to "achieve democracy"? This phrase alone says that China''s explanation about why it is vetoing the UN action is not just bull, but an utterly transparent lie.

[texasailor]

Imagine how the US and the world would have reacted if it had been catholic or other christian monks and priests leading the democracy movement instead of Buddhist monks.Imagine if it had been catholic monks rounded up,beaten and shot as they demonstrated for democracy. Would the US still have reacted the same way?

[nexgen99]

What did you expect from China, from a country hell bent on poisoning the worlds children and adult population.

[texasailor]

Imagine how the US and the world would have reacted if it had been catholic or other christian monks and priests leading the democracy movement instead of Buddhist monks.Imagine if it had been catholic monks rounded up,beaten and shot as they demonstrated for democracy. Would the US still have reacted the same way?

[texasailor]

Imagine how the US and the world would have reacted if it had been catholic or other christian monks and priests leading the democracy movement instead of Buddhists.Imagine if it had been catholic monks rounded up,beaten and shot as they demonstrated for democracy. Would the US still have reacted the same way?

[pwrslm]

China will back the comunist control by the junta at every step, there is little use in even hoping that China will change as long as the peoples party of China runs the show.

[Ed0719]

What lie? The USA did support and supply weapons to Saddam. The USA stood idly by, with Donald Rumsfield meeting with his buddy Saddam and even having his picture taken with him while Saddam was gassing hundreds of his own people.

How quickly the neocons start denying.

China is simply mimicking the GOP/Neocons in the USA.

[pwrslm]

They''''re sounding more and more like the USA every day!

Like when the USA supported and armed Saddam Hussein.

Posted by gkc99

You are so full of optimism. To bad its based on a lie.

[gkc99]

So China won''t let human rights get in the way of their economic interests?

They''re sounding more and more like the USA every day!

Like when the USA supported and armed Saddam Hussein.