A powerful ethnic nationalist politician from one of Myanmar's poorest and most volatile regions said Chinese officials made him an irresistible offer during a recent visit to the country: Ask for anything, and we'll give it to you.
Beijing's courting of Aye Maung, chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), underscores how China is taking steps to protect its most strategic investments in Myanmar — twin oil and gas pipelines and a deep sea port — ahead of an unpredictable election in the Southeast Asian nation next month.
Such willingness to engage with opposition parties to secure its investments overseas represents a major shift in China's noninterventionist foreign policy.