Pakistan egged by China eyes defence ties with Myanmar

A high-level delegation from the Pakistani Defense Ministry visited Myanmar last week in what could have been facilitated by Islamabad’s all weather ally China. It has been learnt that the Pakistani delegation and Myanmar military leaders held talks on advanced ordnance technology, aircraft repair and maintenance, and naval munitions.

Separately, a group of about eight officers from the Myanmar Police Force is scheduled to visit Karachi this month for training in explosives and mine-disposal techniques, sources told Myanmar’s leading media outlet The Irrawaddy. Myanmar has in the past purchased JF-17 multi-role combat aircraft from Pakistan, and is currently in “advanced negotiations” to build third-generation models under license, according to The Irrawaddy. The JF-17 is co-developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation.

Myanmar-China ties between have been strained since the Rohingya crisis of 2017, which saw more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims flee Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh. In 2018, The Irrawaddy reported that the Myanmar Embassy in Pakistan had spent hundreds of millions of kyats (local currency) on tightened security measures. However, reports have also emerged that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency allegedly arranged arms training for 40 Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh.


ARSA, a terrorist group based along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, allegedly has links with Bangladesh-based terror groups, criminal gangs and militant outfits. China sent its Special Envoy Sun Guoxiang to Myanmar recently. He held talks with top-ranking military junta officials including regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Like China, Pakistan is making assessments of developments in Myanmar and anticipates that the Myanmar military will continue to hold on to power indefinitely, according to The Irrawaddy.

As Pakistan has a long and strong relationship with China it is likely that Islamabad plans to propose sub-conventional warfare training and equipment; maintenance and overhaul of Chinese-origin equipment; and defense sales through Pakistan Defense Industries, as potential areas of bilateral engagement, claimed The Irrawaddy. Faced with strong anti-China sentiment in Myanmar, China can use Pakistan as a proxy to continue its assistance to the Myanmar military, Yangon-based analysts told The Irrawaddy.