China-ASEAN summit starts without a Myanmar representative

Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a yearly summit amid reports that member states rebuffed Beijing s request to include Myanmar s top general.

The virtual summit_ hosted by Chinese President_ began on Monday without a representative from Myanmar_ according to the Reuters news agency.

The general overthrew the elected government of the National League for Democracy (NLD) on February 1 and oversaw a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters that has plunged Myanmar into civil war.

The 10-member ASEAN spearheaded diplomatic efforts to end the crisis_ agreeing with Min Aung Hlaing in April to a deal that included talks with the deposed and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the military failed to follow through on the agreement_ and ASEAN retaliated by barring Min Aung Hlaing from its summits.

The decision is unprecedented for a group of countries that emphasise non-interference in domestic affairs and have their own shoddy track records on democracy.

According to Reuters_ it was Indonesia_ Malaysia_ Singapore and Brunei that rejected China s bid to include Min Aung Hlaing in Monday s China-ASEAN summit. An Indonesian diplomat told the news agency its stance was that only a  non-political figure should represent Myanmar at ASEAN summits.

Although Beijing appears to have accepted the decision_ the fact that it pushed for the general s inclusion at all has stirred the geopolitical pot in the region.

Josh Kurlantzick_ Southeast Asia fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations_ said he did not take China s lobbying for Min Aung Hlaing s inclusion at Monday s summit as a sign that Beijing is warming to military rule in Myanmar.

He described the military s power grab in Myanmar as a  disaster for Beijing for the most part .

 I do think China is very unhappy with the situation in Myanmar_ and wants to work with ASEAN to try to restore Myanmar to something close_ eventually_ to the pre-coup status_ which was much much better for China_ he said.

The coup and subsequent internal conflict have caused instability which has threatened Chinese business interests_ sparked a surge of COVID-19 cases_ and reignited old civil wars in border regions.

Aaron Connelly_ Southeast Asia research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies_ said the fact that China acquiesced to ASEAN s refusal to allow Min Aung Hlaing is telling.

 If the junta s international legitimacy were a priority for Beijing_ I don t think we d see them accept this decision quite so easily_ he said.

Connelly noted that China has also accepted a deal to allow Kyaw Moe Tun to continue as Myanmar s ambassador to the United Nations_ despite pledging his loyalty to the overthrown government and being charged by the military with treason.

 The chill between Min Aung Hlaing and Chinese leaders runs deep_ and that has not changed as quickly as some expected  despite the two otherwise adopting a transactional approach to diplomacy_ he added.