Survey Brief and Key Findings

Survey Brief

The survey indicates that there is no significant gap between individuals who perceived China to be a good neighbor and those who disagreed with this perception. However, there appears to be concerns about China’s economic influence and its status as Myanmar’s largest economic partner. Additionally, there was significant agreement on the growing dependency on China regarding trade, investments, peace process, politics and diplomacy as well as technology and security sectors following the 2021 coup. Regarding China’s approach to Myanmar, most respondents shared the view that China’s approach is pragmatic, focusing on fostering good relations with whoever is in power in Myanmar. The majority of respondents also perceived that China intervenes in Myanmar’s domestic affairs. An intriguing finding within Myanmar’s policy community was that many respondents were unaware of China’s major regional cooperative projects. It is also noteworthy that a significant portion of respondents expressed disagreement with the ongoing implementations of the China– Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) projects. Furthermore, respondents perceived that China–Myanmar economic relations would undergo development after three years, starting in 2026.

The majority of respondents continue to hold strong views that China’s governance, economic development, and concept of democracy with China’s characteristics are not ideal for Myanmar, despite China’s efforts to build relations in various sectors of Myanmar through soft power. Specifically, most leaders of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) do not consider China’s governance an ideal model. However, there is still a perception among respondents that China holds influence over EAOs in Northern Shan State. Many respondents also indicated that their perceptions remain unchanged despite the ongoing Operation 1027.