On 10 March, Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of West Asia’s fiercest rivals, startled the world when they announced a detente. The historic “peace deal” was brokered by China.
But, much before this happened, Beijing was attempting to broker peace between various actors in a country much closer to home – Myanmar. The February 2021 coup by Min Aung Hlaing’s military derailed its complex conflict mediation project. But, Xi Jinping’s China put it back on track in no time.
Yet, whom does a China-brokered peace in Myanmar benefit? Why is China even doing it? What kind of a peace is it? And what does Myanmar reveal about Chinese conflict mediation in the 21st century?
I try to answer these questions in the first episode of the BW Podcast. Listen and share!
E01 | China's Conflict Mediation in Myanmar: Who Wins and Who Loses?