On Tuesday I discussed how pressure from the ASEAN countries forced Burma to forgo the chairmanship, a notable break from a general policy of nonintervention with regards to any particular country’s internal affairs. The move was cheered by the United States, the EU, and pro-democracy activists everywhere. Representatives from both bodies had threatened to boycott the meeting if Burma was to take the 2006 chair, which would have dealt a severe diplomatic blow as such a thing had never been done before. Speaking of other boycotts, though, President Bush just signed into law another year of sanctions against the Burmese military junta.

US President George W. Bush today signed a law imposing trade sanctions on Burma for an additional year, punishing its military rulers for detaining opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The law bars imports from the country.

Burma has been ruled for more than four decades by the military. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi – whose National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990 only to be denied power by the army – remains under house arrest.

The import restrictions were first imposed in 2003.

Under the legislation, the import ban must be renewed each year and expires after three years.

Now that Burma is being cornered by the more democratic countries of the world and region, what is an entrenched totalitarian regime to do? Oh, that’s right! Find new friends. Lucky for them, there is a giant communist country right down the road that is interested in propping up authoritarian regimes all over the world. No, not the Soviet Union. Silly. That’s so 20th century!

No, while the United States and the EU are threatening a boycott of ASEAN over the Burma chairmanship, China decides that it’s going to boycott as well; except it’s going to send its foreign minister to Burma instead.

July 28, 2005 (DVB) – The Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing met with Burma????????s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) chairman Gen Than Shwe and prime minister Gen Soe Win in Rangoon on 28 July.

The two were seen separately by the Chinese minister at the country????????s Parliament building and discussed matters on closer tie and increasing trades between the two countries, according to reports from Burma.

Li who skipped ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Laotian capital Vientiane made a surprise visit to Rangoon on 27 July, will return directly to China in the evening. His visit came after Burma agreed to give up its chance to chair ASEAN in 2006 due to pressures from the West and member countries.

Some observers assumed that the Chinese minister????????s visit to Rangoon is connected to the latest development. But former Burmese ambassador to China and now a veteran politician Thakhin Chan Tun told DVB that the visit was just a social call on the part of the Chinese who want to strengthen the tie between the two countries in competition with other powerful neighbours.

In other words, the Burmese dictatorship is becoming internationally isolated and needs help. Just like with Zimbabwe, the Chinese are ready and willing to support the regime in exchange for needed resources and trade. Not to mention a partner in authoritarianism.