In Shringla-Naravane visit to Myanmar, a subtle hint to China

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 5

The unusual combination of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Chief of the Army Staff Gen MM Naravane ended its two-day visit to Myanmar with a subtle message to China.

As Shringla and General Naravane went through the paces of calling on State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar Army Chief Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, India also announced that it had opened a high tech IT center in Myitkyina.

The significance of this town, closer to the China border, is not only that it is on Stillwell Road, now largely a rutted track, that snakes from Assam to China via Myanmar. The town is located just 60 km from Myitsone, the confluence of two rivers and the starting point of a now-junked Chinese project to build a huge, multipurpose dam.

India was highly concerned after Myanmar awarded the dam to the Chinese but it has since been kept suspended with Beijing reportedly lobbying for its revival.

The centre inaugurated by India with its advanced IT training modes, including conventional and virtual classrooms, is expected to be a magnet for the youth in this Kachin territory considered strategic as it is a bridge between Yunnan and north east India.  

Shringla and General Naravane, accompanied by Indian envoy Saurabh Kumar, handed over 3,000 vials of Remdesivir to Suu Kyi as India has positioned itself as a reliable partner in Myanmar’s battle against Covid. They also discussed important bilateral issues.