CHINA:Burma's most significant ally, China, said yesterday it "hoped and believed" the Burmese military junta would "properly deal" with ongoing protests, the biggest anti-government demonstrations in 20 years.
The Chinese government "certainly hopes Myanmar [ Burma] can maintain stability and resolve the issue in its own way", foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said, without specifying what kind of diplomatic pressure was being applied on the generals behind the scenes.
China is seen as playing a crucial role in the crisis in Burma because it is a major trade partner and protector of the country, much in the same way as it played a key role in the North Korean missile talks over recent years.
According to recent statements, read as putting more pressure on the military leadership in Rangoon, China urged Burma to push forward with a "democracy process that is appropriate for the country", a message that was viewed as unusually forthright for the taciturn Chinese leadership.
However, pushing too hard in Burma is not an option for China, even though the Beijing government has a lot of influence among the generals. Burma is a crucial source of natural resources and minerals, and the political fallout of a broader revolution in Burma could have ramifications in neighbouring China.
China is an emerging diplomatic power in Asia, seeking to match its burgeoning wealth with political influence. It is also increasingly concerned with its image ahead of the Olympics next year and has sought to play an honest broker role in regional flashpoints. China reaffirmed its appeals for stability and economic growth in Burma, while emphasising its long-held view of "non-interference in other countries' internal affairs".
However, Beijing has not echoed western states' calls for restraint. The West is fearful of a bloody end to the demonstrations similar to that of 1988, when the military intervened and thousands were killed.
In January, China and Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on the junta to stop persecuting minority and opposition groups and to take concrete steps toward democracy.