India has agreed to provide Myanmar with a $500 million credit as one of 12 deals signed during the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aimed at boosting trade and energy links.
Singh, the first Indian premier to visit Myanmar in a quarter of a century, is on a three-day visit that underscores India's quest for energy supplies in the Southeast Asian country.
On Monday, Singh met with Myanmar President Thein Sein, and together they attended the signing for the credit line, an air services pact and other agreements.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday that China is glad to see India and Myanmar develop friendly cooperative relations, and hopes that the development of their relations is conducive to the peace, stability and prosperity of the two countries as well as the region.
Song Qingrun, a Myanmar studies researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said China and India have a huge potential for further cooperation in promoting investment in Myanmar.
The country is undergoing economic reform and pursues the principle of fair bidding to attract foreign investments, he said.
Countries such as China, India, the United States and European nations can invest in Myanmar as long as it is good for economic development in the country, he added.
As China and India have common interests in the supporting reform and maintaining peace and stability in Myanmar, they should watch out for malicious hype by some media over the competition between the two countries, Song said.
"China-Myanmar and India-Myanmar relations are an integral part of bilateral relations between China and India. They should properly handle some differences and disagreements in the process of developing outward," he added.
Indian-backed infrastructure projects in the country include a port at Sittwe on the Bay of Bengal, but New Delhi's presence lags well behind that of Beijing, which is behind a host of major projects.
"India does seem to have been rather slothful in its response to Myanmar's reforms compared to the enthusiasm shown by many other world leaders," said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific Chief Economist at IHS Global Insight.
According to data from IHS, China led the ranking in investments in Myanmar last year, pledging $8.3 billion, with India trailing in 13th place, with $189 million pledged.
Indian trade with Myanmar stood at $1.2 billion in 2010, far short of the $4.4 billion between China and Myanmar.
Zhang Guihong, deputy head of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said it is normal for China and India, two major developing countries in Asia, to have competition in Myanmar.
"China and Myanmar have always maintained good relations, and India has seen Myanmar as its first portal to go to in the Asia-Pacific," Zhang said.
However, he added that the two countries share basic interests in Myanmar of promoting stability and development.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was administered as a province of India during British colonial rule, and the two countries have religious links dating back to the early spread of Buddhism more than 2,000 years ago.
India sees Myanmar as the springboard to a closer connection with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as a key partner in counter-insurgency and economic development drives in its northeast border areas.
Tags: green bags, greenbags, recyclable bags, non woven bag, non woven bags, nylon bag, cotton bag, cotton bags, messenger bag, reusable bags, bag, bags, handbag, eco bags, tote bag, paper pen, promotional, promotional gifts, promotional products, promotion products, promotional bags, promotional bag, business card, name card, shopping bags, canvas bag, calico bags, calico bag, environmental bags
没有评论:
发表评论