Myanmar’s Suu Kyi keeps door open to US and China

Stronger ties with the United States, which is keen to increase its political influence in Asia, should not be considered a challenge to Myanmar’s long-time relationship with China, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Myanmar’s democracy icon also called it presumptuous that Beijing should learn from her country’s democratic reform – though the two countries may share one thing in common: corruption, said the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Suu Kyi was speaking to the in a small group interview on the sidelines of the Rotary Global Peace Forum on Saturday in Honolulu. Citing Myanmar’s long road to democracy, she said China’s political direction should be ultimately decided by Chinese people rather than external factors.

Suu Kyi believed Myanmar was not faced with an either/or decision when it comes to US and China ties.

“I don’t think [Burma-US] needs to be an exclusive relationship. Nor does it mean we have to be friends either with the US or China. We need to be friends of both,” she said.

“China is a neighbour and the US is a very, very powerful nation that is eager to help with emerging democracy,” she said.

Suu Kyi was kept under house arrest by Myanmar’s military regime for two decades over political dissent. She returned to the political stage last year after President Thein Sein launched reforms that allowed her to be elected to the parliament.