Power Play

Myanmar coup: Limits to US, Chinese influence over domestic developments

Washington and Beijing have different interests in the South-east Asian country, but the recent history of their relations with Myanmar shows the constraints on their ability to bend its leadership to their will.

A Buddhist monk protesting next to an armoured vehicle in Yangon, Myanmar, on Feb 14, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
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Power Play is a weekly column that looks at various facets of US-China rivalry and its implications for Asia.

In the days following the Myanmar military's coup on Feb 1, several Western newspapers zeroed in on what the South-east Asian country's political crisis meant for America's rivalry with China.

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