美国政府认为缅甸在新政府的领导下,出现了一些积极变化的迹象。因此,美国国务卿希拉里最近对缅甸进行了历史性的访问。而就在此次访问前几天,中国中央军委副主席习近平在北京会见了缅甸国防军总司令,号召两国加强军事联系。
But not all has gone smoothly in China-Myanmar relations.
但中缅关系的发展并不总是一帆风顺的。
In September, Myanmar unexpectedly suspended the construction of the $3.6 billion Myitsone hydropower station financed by a Chinese company, citing environmental and social concerns.
今年九月,缅甸政府称,中国公司出资36亿美元承建的密松水电站建设工程造成了环境和社会问题,并出人意料地叫停了这一工程。
The project was meant to provide much-needed power to China but it would have displaced thousands of local residents.
这个项目旨在为中国提供紧缺的电力,但却需要移走成千上万的当地居民。
"The Myanmar people are very upset about particularly resource-extraction activities, where the Chinese are not consulting the communities, they are not providing benefits to the communities, they displace populations and they engage in environmental degradation," says Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the International Crisis Group analyst.
国际危机监测机构分析师克莱因-阿尔布兰德表示,“缅甸人民对这些资源开采活动极为愤慨。中国人之前并没有征得当地社区同意,也没有为当地社区谋利益;他们只是移走了居民,破坏了生态环境。”
The decision was seen as a rare concession by the government to public pressure -- and a blow to China.
这项罕见的决定是政府在公众施压之下做出的妥协;而对中国来说,则是一个打击。
"This incident made some believe that Myanmar is showing goodwill to the West at the expense of Chinese interest," an editorial on the Global Times this week reads.
本周《环球时报》上的一篇社论写道:“此次事件使一些人认为,缅甸正牺牲中国的利益向西方国家示好。”
Other observers say Myanmar's decision on the dam project was largely driven by internal factors.
另一些观察员则认为,缅甸政府叫停大坝建设工程很大程度上是国内原因所致。
"It's a strong indication that the government is ready to say 'no' to Beijing when it is in its interest to do so," says Suzanne DiMaggio of the New York-based Asia Society.
来自纽约亚洲社团的苏珊娜·迪马吉欧(Suzanne DiMaggio)表示,“这次事件表明,当涉及到自身利益时,缅甸政府将会对中国说‘不’。”
Clinton's visit is "an opportunity for the U.S. to help move Myanmar away from authoritarian rule and into the world community," she adds. "The visit also sends a strong signal to China that the U.S. is seeking to contain Beijing's influence in Myanmar."
她还补充说到,希拉里此次对缅甸的访问“为美国提供了帮助缅甸摆脱专治独裁统治的机会,并使其重返世界舞台”。“访问还向中国发出了强烈的信号,旨在说明美国正遏制中国在缅甸的影响。”
Some Chinese political observers are picking up that signal too.
一些中国政治观察员也捕捉到了这条信息。
Clinton's visit "will further unnerve China, which has recently been increasingly worried that the aim of the United States' new Asia policy is to isolate and encircle China," writes Li, the Tsinghua University professor.
清华大学一位姓李的教授写道,希拉里对缅甸的访问“将进一步使中国感到不安;此前,中国一直担心美国新的亚洲政策旨在孤立和包围中国。”
Publicly, at least, Beijing's diplomats maintain China is not worried about Myanmar's engagement with the U.S.
至少在公共场合,中国外交官仍宣称,政府并没有因缅甸与美国的交涉感到担忧。
"China welcomes Myanmar and Western countries to improve their relations on the basis of mutual respect," says Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei. "We hope Myanmar's move will be conducive to the country's stability and development."
中国外交部发言人洪磊表示,“中国很高兴看到缅甸与西方国家在相互尊重的基础上,共同努力,改善相互间的关系。我们希望,缅甸的决策将有助于保持其国内稳定和促进自身发展。”
Beijing also appears more proactive in engaging the Myanmar people, especially after the controversial decision on the dam. It recently sent a rare Buddhist relic to Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country, to be on public display.
中国政府在处理与缅甸人民相关的事务上也表现得更为主动了,尤其是在此次富有争议的大坝叫停事件发生之后。最近,中国将一件稀有的佛教文物送到缅甸这个佛教占主导地位的国家,向公众公开展出。
"It's part of this new outreach -- using religion, using media, using non-governmental organizations," observes Kleine-Ahlbrandt of the International Crisis Group. "China is trying to learn about how it can exert soft power."
国际危机监测机构的克莱因-阿尔布兰德观察到,“这只是中国扩展其影响力的新手段之一,即通过宗教、媒体和非政府组织实现其目的。中国正努力学习如何使用软实力。”
Even as Myanmar's leadership begins to mend fences with Washington, few expect to see China and Myanmar drift too far apart, thanks to the two neighbors' inter-dependent relationship.
由于中缅两国相互依存的关系,即使在缅甸领导人开始与美国恢复友好关系时,也很少有人希望看到中国与缅甸过于疏远的局面。
"Myanmar continually depends on China's investment, on Chinese trade and Chinese political cover in the international community," says Kleine-Ahlbrandt.
克莱因-阿尔布兰德还表示,“缅甸一直依赖于中国的投资、贸易以及中国在国际舞台上的政治影响力。”
"China depends on Myanmar for access to its resources and also for the border to remain peaceful."
“而中国则依赖于缅甸的各种资源,同时也希望通过两国边境维持自己的和平与安定。”