A Myanmar medical staff checks the body temperature of a member of the Chinese military medical expert from People's Liberation Army (PLA) as they arrive at the Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/U Aung)

The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has slammed the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Myanmar for publishing an article in which he tried to attack and smear China, and analysts noted that the US' move, which aims to deliberately drive a wedge between China-Myanmar bilateral ties, will be unable to shake the bond between them as support between China and ASEAN countries in fighting the pandemic are drawing them even closer.

Some observers in Myanmar reached by the Global Times on Sunday warned that the article by the US diplomat in Myanmar signals that the US is openly engaging in diplomatic competition with China in an attempt to sow discord in the region and force Myanmar to take sides between China and the US. But the Myanmar side will not be fooled by such tricks because choosing sides between Beijing and Washington will not bring any good to itself, they noted.  

In a statement published on Saturday following an anti-China article written by George Sibley, the US diplomat in Myanmar, the Chinese embassy spokesperson pointed out that for a period of time, the US has been pursuing the so-called America First policy. The US ignores international ethics and legal norms, disregards the common interests of mankind and international trends, and has done a lot of disgusting things.

In order to contain China, US agencies abroad are ordered to attack and smear China. Now the US Embassy in Myanmar has also extended a dirty hand to the Chinese side, the Chinese embassy spokesperson wrote in the statement. 

"The article of the US Embassy is full of dirty loopholes and shoddy work to the extent that is shocking. With extremely unreasonable logic, the article links Myanmar with Hong Kong and the South China Sea issues, and even with the democracy and sovereignty issues flaunted by the US in order to defame China-Myanmar relations, bilateral cooperation and anti-pandemic assistance," it added. 

Chinese analysts warned that the new trend that the US is using almost every possible proposition to contain China, especially on issues related to the South China Sea is increasingly evident, which aims to create discord between China and friendly neighbor countries in the region and harm cooperation between them. 

"The majority of ASEAN countries are rational, and reluctant to blindly follow the US rhetoric at the cost of undermining their friendly ties with China. But it is necessary for Chinese diplomats and embassies located overseas to refute the US' smearing remarks to prevent some local media or civil organizations from hyping the false accusations against China," a Beijing-based international study researcher told the Global Times on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The US has regained the notorious "McCarthyist bigotry" and outdated "Cold War mindset" on its current China policy, and deliberately stoked ideological opposition, breaking through the baseline of the international law and basic norms governing international relations. China will never be driven by a few American anti-China forces, and will firmly defend its legitimate interests and dignity, according to the embassy.

Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying remarked during a Wednesday press conference that the US has broken its commitment of not taking a stand in sovereignty issues in the South China Sea region. The US has been sending advanced military planes and vessels to the region, flexing its muscles while issuing its so-called position to undermine the efforts made by countries in the region to safeguard regional peace and stability.

Such acts would further reveal to the world the hypocrisy and hegemony of the US, she noted.

Facts speak louder than words, and can break lies easily, analysts said. "ASEAN countries are more than able to tell right from wrong."

Recent provocative moves carried out by the US in the South China Sea are designed to divert public attention from its domestic failure in handling the pandemic. They are also part of Donald Trump's strategy to win more vote in the upcoming general election, said Gu Xiaosong, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences.

In the common fight against the pandemic, China and ASEAN countries have been supporting and helping each other, and managed to take good control of the pandemic, leading to faster recovery of the economy in the region, which would solidify the bilateral friendly ties, and the US would not easily shake such bond, Gu told the Global Times. 

Compared to the "empty checks" the US has been offering to Myanmar, the Chinese government, the People's Liberation Army, Chinese enterprises and NGOs have provided many batches of anti-pandemic materials for Myanmar, including more than 200,000 test reagents, nearly 60,000 sets of protective suits, more than 6.5 million masks and 35 ventilators, according to the Chinese embassy. China also sent three teams of medical experts to Myanmar to share experience in fighting against the pandemic, and help Myanmar improve its capacity and level of pandemic prevention and management. 

The attempts of some Americans to stigmatize China-Myanmar relations are doomed to fail, it added. 




Newspaper headline: US to drive wedge between China, Myanmar ‘will fail’