US announces targeted sanctions

The U.S. will impose targeted sanctions against ranking military officials and their close family members. “We will identify a first round of targets this week, and we’re also going to impose strong exports controls,” President Joe Biden an

Blanket sanctions possible, but not likely

The U.S., E.U. and other Western powers will almost certainly take action in response to this week’s military takeover, and a repeat of the harsh, blanket sanctions of the 90s and 00s would devastate Myanmar’s economy. Yet there are key d

Will a Biden presidency shake up U.S.-Myanmar relations?

This week, the United States swore in President Joe Biden. On the same day, President U Win Myint formally accepted the credentials of incoming U.S. ambassador Thomas Laszlo Vajda. Meanwhile, Biden’s newly-nominated intelligence director Avril

Pentagon: China wants army presence in Myanmar

The United States Department of Defense has accused China of seeking to expand its military network throughout neighbors of India, including Myanmar. The “2020 China Military Power Report” claims the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) i

New US ambassador throws shade on China

The United States’ and China’s war of words in Myanmar continued last week when incoming United States ambassador to Myanmar Thomas Laszlo Vajda urged the U.S. to engage with Myanmar, warning against “malign foreign influences and c

China and US bash one another over Myanmar

Last week U.S. embassy chargé d’affaires George N. Sibley published a scathing op-ed that accused China of exploiting Myanmar’s people, extracting its natural resources, and eroding its sovereignty. Soon after, the Chinese embassy released i