In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, August 11th
China, the US Send Aid to Competing Centres of Power in Myanmar and Iraq to Host Summit in Bid to Bridge Regional Differences
China, the US Send Aid to Competing Centres of Power in Myanmar
China’s government has announced the transfer of more than $6 million to Myanmar’s government, which is to be used to fund a range of development projects. Similarly, the United States has announced more than $50 Million in ‘humanitarian assistance’ for Myanmar, with none of the sum going directly to the governing authorities. Instead, the funding provided by the US will be given directly to “international and non-governmental organization partners.” The moves by China and the US illustrate both powers’ desire to achieve different political outcomes in Myanmar by providing support to competing centres of power.
The aid package announced by China will see Myanmar receive funds for over 20 projects in Myanmar as part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund. The projects China is investing in cover human resources, vaccine production, culture, agriculture, natural disaster prevention, science and technology, environmental preservation, forestry, trade, tourism and finance. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation group, initiated by China in 2016, is comprised of members Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
But the United States seeks a different political reality in Myanmar. During an official visit to Thailand, a US official announced more than $50 million in critical humanitarian assistance to international and non-governmental organisation partners, which will be expected to provide emergency food assistance, lifesaving protection, shelter, health care, water, and sanitation services to “the people of Burma” (Myanmar). Interestingly, the US aid package has been accompanied by statements from Yanghee Lee, the founder of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, which note that the Myanmar government “must not be considered a partner for the delivery of aid.”
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Iraq to Host Summit in Bid to Bridge Regional Differences
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has announced that Baghdad will be hosting a regional summit at the end of the month in an effort to ease regional tensions. The summit, named the Iraqi Neighbouring Countries Conference, intends to bring together competing regional players like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
By arranging a regional summit involving the major players of the Middle East, Iraq is seeking to establish itself as a mediator in the many disagreements between Turkey, Arab countries and Iran. Iraq, as an ally of Tehran and a host of US-led coalition forces, has been caught in the ongoing tug-of-war between Israel and the United States on the one hand, and Iran on the other. The announced summit is the next logical step for the Iraqi government after Baghdad already took the first steps by attempting to remedy the hostile relations between Riyadh and Tehran earlier this year.
Arriving in Iran on Tuesday, the Foreign Minister of Iraq extended an invitation to the summit to Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi. Iran issued a statement following the meeting in Tehran, welcoming the initiative but warning that “cooperation […] without foreign interference is the necessary condition for the region’s stable security.” The proposed summit is also attracting officials from outside the region, with French President Emmanuel Macron also welcoming the Iraqi initiative, expressing his intention to attend the summit in person.
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