Myanmar’s Dependence on China, Russia Will Only Deepen Under New Gov’t: Analysts

Myanmar’s military regime has relied heavily on China and Russia to withstand deepening international isolation, and that dependence will only deepen even after a nominally civilian government takes office in April, analysts say.

Despite decades of official neutrality and non‑alignment, Myanmar’s foreign policy since the 2021 coup has been characterized by the junta’s growing dependency on Beijing and Moscow as Western democracies responded with sweeping sanctions and downgrading of diplomatic ties.

As one senior political analyst put it, “The non‑alignment policy has collapsed. It’s only meant for countries that are politically and economically independent. As things are only getting worse under Min Aung Hlaing, the regime has no choice but to cling to China and Russia now.”