BEIJING, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Myanmar's transition to
democracy will not change the country's traditional friendship
with China, Myanmar President Thein Sein was cited as telling
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, amid concerns in China its
neighbour could become a U.S. ally.
Chinese officials and media have expressed concern
Washington's renewed interest in slowly democratising Myanmar,
formerly known as Burma, could be part of U.S. designs to dilute
China's influence there and encircle China with pro-U.S. states.
Fears about China's influence in Myanmar have been bolstered
not only by Washington's engagement with the country but also
the U.S. military's strategic "pivot" back to Asia.
But during a meeting on the sidelines of a trade fair in
southern China, Thein Sein said Beijing should not worry.
"Myanmar is at present in a transitional phase, but Myanmar
pays great attention to developing relations with China, and its
policy of seeing China has a true friend has not changed,"
China's foreign ministry cited Thein Sein as telling Xi.
"China has for a long time provided a large amount of
sincere support and help, and stood at Myanmar's side at the
most difficult of times. Myanmar's people will never forget
this," Thein Sein added, in the statement released late Friday.
It is Thein Sein's second trip to China since he took office
in March 2011. He goes to the United States after completing
this trip.
With sanctions long blocking Western investments, China has
emerged as Myanmar's biggest ally, investing in infrastructure,
hydropower dams and twin oil-and-gas pipelines to help feed
southern China's growing energy needs.
The United States, along with the European Union, Japan and
other Western countries, have moved to ease sanctions on Myanmar
following the new army-backed civilian government's efforts at
pushing ahead with democratic reforms.
China has long worried about its ties with Myanmar, with a
history of resentment of China among the Burmese population and
fierce public opposition to a $3.6 billion Chinese-built dam at
Myitsone that prompted Thein Sein to shelve the project last
year, a move that stunned Beijing.
Xi did not directly address that issue, saying only that
"both sides should work hard to guarantee the smooth progress of
certain important cooperative projects".
A more crucial scheme - twin oil and gas pipelines being
built at huge expense across Myanmar and into China - appears
safe despite unhappiness among some residents who live along its
route and conflict with ethnic minority rebels close to the
Chinese border.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Ron Popeski)