Beijing Exploits Burma Election to Advance Political and Economic Interests: Analysts

As the first election phase concludes, Beijing is leveraging the polls to assert dominance over regional affairs, experts say.Election Commission officials prepare at a polling station inside a school ahead of the general election in Thingangyun Township, Yangon, Burma, on Dec. 27, 2025. Reuters12/30/2025|Updated: 12/31/2025AnalysisAs Burma’s first election phase wraps up, observers say Beijing is seizing on the isolated regime’s desperation to secure strategic gains while turning a blind eye to the junta’s slaughter of civilians.Jarvis Lim is a Taiwan-based writer focusing on human rights, U.S.–China relations, China’s economic and political influence in Southeast Asia, and cross-strait relations. Author’s Selected Articles