Myanmar Elections and China's Perspective

Myanmar will hold its first general elections in two decades on Nov. 7, the fifth step on the country’s "Road Map to Discipline-flourishing Democracy" unveiled in 2003. With a military-backed government holding a tight grip on the elections, they are not expected to bring any change in the country's leadership that would challenge the junta's power. However, changes may occur in China's strategic perception of its southwestern neighbor, particularly if the elections result in Myanmar's expanding its economic or political engagement with India or the West.