Beijing’s advocacy on behalf of the Burmese junta could negatively impact both China’s long-term interest in Burma and the perception of China as a “responsible stakeholder” within the international community, said a prominent Burmese opposition leader on Friday.

Win Tin, a leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who spent 19 years in prison, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that as one of the most powerful nations in the world and the country with the world's second largest economy, China must take a more responsive role in Burma affairs with respect to such issues as stability, democratization and ethnic minority rights.

“If the Chinese leaders praise the regime while not being more responsive on issues that affect the people of Burma, China will fail to win the hearts of the people and this could effect China's long term interests in the country. It could also undermine hope in the international community for China to become a responsive stakeholder in international affairs,” said Win Tin.

He said China’s promotion of Burma's repressive regime and unfair elections through a non-inclusive political process could spark more anti-Chinese sentiment among Burmese which in turn could threaten the stability of Chinese investments in Burma.

China’s policy on Burma focuses primarily on stability, but a political process based on elections that are not free, fair and inclusive will cause instability in Burma and negatively effect China's interests in the country, Win Tin said.

Meanwhile, upon junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe's arrival in Beijing on Sept.7, Chinese government spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a press conference that the Chinese leaders would not talk about Burma’s election in meetings with the top general.

 “The general election in Myanmar [Burma] is its internal affairs. We always uphold the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs,” she said. 

She added that China hoped the international community would provide constructive help for the Burmese elections by refraining from taking any action that has a “negative impact on its [Burma's] domestic political process as well as regional peace and stability.”

She said a peaceful, stable and progressing Burma serves not only the Burmese people but also  the countries in the region. She added that Burma’s internal issues “should be independently resolved” by the Burmese regime and people.

According to reports by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese leaders such as President Hu Jintao, No. 2 leader Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao did not directly mention the elections in Burma during meetings with Than Shwe and the Burmese delegation on Sept. 8 and 9, talking only about the concrete ties between the two countries.

“The [Burma] policy will remain unchanged regardless of changes in the international situation,” Hu said, adding that it was China's unswerving policy to solidify and develop good neighborly cooperation with Burma.

On Thursday, Than Shwe affirmed to the Chinese leaders his commitment to “developing strategic relations with China” in the post-election period, including in the formation of the new government.

Bates Gill, a China expert and the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said in his report, “China Becoming a Responsible Stakeholder,” that China’s trend towards becoming a responsible stakeholder looked set to continue for the near- to medium-term, because it is so clearly in Chinese interests to maintain and even strengthen this posture. 

“China’s more responsible approach to world affairs in the past decade-plus can be attributed to three powerful motivations for the Chinese leadership: (1) alleviate external tensions in order to better address domestic challenges; (2) reassure neighbors about a growing China’s peaceful intentions and defuse the emergence of soft containment or other counterbalancing against China; and (3) work to balance, but not confront, the United States,” he said. 

However, “On questions of human rights, and particularly Beijing’s support for abusive governments around the world, China’s hoped-for acceptance as a 'responsible great power' falters most,” Gill said.

“Close and supportive relations with countries such as Burma and Zimbabwe, while coming under some reconsideration in Beijing, are not consistent with the responsible stakeholder concept,” he said.