"The United States tried to force Myanmar to hasten its political development, which may not be fulfilled in accordance with U.S. expectations," Gao pointed out.

Return to Asia

Considering Myanmar's geographic location and its traditionally close relationship with China, foreign media state that Obama's Myanmar visit was aimed at counterbalancing China. A report in The Wall Street Journal said, "President Obama's historic visit to Myanmar, marking his return to Asia only days after his reelection, is rooted in a strategic move to shape new relationships as part of a larger shadow-boxing match with China over influence in the region."

Chinese analysts believed that Obama's intention was about continuing to deploy his rebalancing strategy in Asia.

Song Qingrun, a researcher on Myanmar studies with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Obama's Myanmar visit exemplified the U.S. "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region. The Obama administration believed that former President George W. Bush's administration had put too much emphasis on counterterrorism while ignoring U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific, and that now is the time to resume U.S. influence in the region.

"Washington recognizes that Asia is a region with emerging powers, like China, South Korea, India and even Russia. The rebalance actually has two goals: regaining U.S. dominance and counterbalancing emerging powers' influence in the region," said Song.

Jia Xiudong, a researcher with the China Institute of International Studies, predicted Obama will allot more political, economic, military, security and strategic resources in Southeast Asia to fully carry out his rebalancing strategy. "Southeast Asia will be the biggest priority in the strategy," Jia said.

Jia added that besides looking to establish a new partnership, Washington also hopes to cash in from the Asia-Pacific region's rapid economic development. "Obama actually treated Myanmar as a gateway to enlarge U.S. influence in Southeast Asia," Jia concluded.

Good neighbors

Chinese observers unanimously claimed that Washington will not be able to undermine the China-Myanmar relationship. They argued that the United States would fail to duplicate the traditional brotherhood and friendship between China and Myanmar.

"Friendship between China and Myanmar has a historical basis and realistic benefits," Song stressed. During World War II, the Burma Road was the only overland supply route for China. Myanmar, then known as Burma, established diplomatic relations with New China in 1950, less than a year after the founding of the People's Republic. Residents in the two countries' border areas have engaged in trading and intermarrying for thousands of years.

Myanmar has benefited from China's rapid development in the past decades. In 2011, the bilateral trade volume reached $6.5 billion, seeing an annual increase of 46.3 percent. China's non-financial direct investment in Myanmar that year was $460 million, increasing 41.4 percent over that in 2010.

"Just by measuring the economic benefits, China can bring more to Myanmar than the United States," Song pointed out. Statistics show that bilateral trade between Myanmar and the United States reached $293.64 million in the fiscal year 2011-12.

Song stressed that both Myanmar's President U Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi made similar statements that developing relations with Washington does not target China, and the China-Myanmar relationship remains the most important bilateral relationship to Myanmar. "It's understandable and reasonable that Myanmar would keep a balance between two powers like China and the United States to realize its own national interests. And it's a wise choice," Song said.

Myanmar feels the same way. Ko Ko Hlaign, Myanmar's Chief President Advisor for Political Affairs, who headed a delegation of officials, scholars and entrepreneurs to China in late October, stressed in his speech: "We are good partners, good friends and good neighbors. Times have changed. Presidents have changed. But the warm and close relationship between the two peoples and countries will never change."

Email us at: dingying@bjreview.com