| This thesis analyzes the Sino-Indian competition in Myanmar by focusing on the drivers of this competition, how these drivers generate competition between the two sides and how the recent liberalization of Burma's politics will affect the competition. The work argues that the Sino-Indian competition in Burma is driven, in order of importance, by the geostrategies of the two sides, their desire to exploit Myanmar's energy resources and their drive to gain influence in the domestic politics of their smaller neighbor. Burma's recent liberalization and its emergence out of international isolation have made the competition between Beijing and Delhi more complex, slightly more intense and a bit more even, although the balance is still tilted in China's favor. The thesis reaches several conclusions about the competition. It concludes that, in its essence, the competition is a question of security and of both sides' desire to exploit Myanmar's potential as transportation corridor as well as economic and energy hub. It also identifies the United States as an important influence in shaping the Sino-Indian competition in Burma. Finally, this thesis also presents Myanmar not merely as an object of the competition but as an subject whose policies have major impact of the contest between Beijing and Delhi. |
