Myanmar’s Army Chief Challenges Biden, Bets Big on China
- Biden under pressure to impose sanctions on Myanmar generals
- Myanmar army voids election, takes power for one year
This article is for subscribers only.
By seizing power on Monday, Myanmar’s generals are providing Joe Biden with an early test of his efforts to counter the appeal of China’s authoritarian model in Asia.
Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was bumping up against a mandatory retirement age this year, already faces sanctions from the U.S. and U.K. due to a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims that has led to accusations of genocide. Beijing, meanwhile, has shown him respect: In a meeting last month with the 64-year-old general, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the two countries “brothers” while praising the military’s “national revitalization.”