Chinese and Burmese sources confirm that the Myanmar government would have accepted the cooperation project with China to create a joint security company: the China-Myanmar Joint Security Company (JVSC) which Myanmar calls the "Joint Security Force". A 13-person committee would be established between China and Min Aung Hlaing's military government on October 22, 2024, responsible for reviewing cooperation plans and evaluating imported weapons and security equipment. The plan is in full development. The aim: to ensure the safety of Chinese-funded enterprises in Myanmar and play a “positive and significant” role in strengthening the status of Min Aung Hlaing's armed forces. In addition, JVSC members could also be sent to many countries and regions around the world to protect China's investments and interests in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Accumulating interests abroad is what the Belt and Road Initiative does in a big way. China builds ports, plantations, mines, railways, industrial parks and trade zones, new markets, new transportation routes and communities of overseas citizens and plans to protect them. “This means that Beijing's global economic activity is now linked to China's national defense.”
by Nicola and Gabriele Iuvinale
A 13-person committee would be established between China and Min Aung Hlaing's military government on October 22, 2024, responsible for reviewing cooperation plans and evaluating imported weapons and security equipment. The plan is in full development.
Accumulating interests abroad is what the Belt and Road Initiative does in a big way. China builds ports, plantations, mines, railways, industrial parks and trade zones, new markets, new transportation routes and communities of overseas citizens and plans to protect them. “This means that Beijing's global economic activity is now linked to China's national defense.”
Of course, China does not recognize any formal connection between the Belt and Road and the People's Liberation Army. But, in reality, the extension of investment interests abroad, via the BRI, requires that the PLA's protection roles and missions keep pace with them. According to PLA strategic planners, “where national interests expand, the support of military force must follow.” Therefore, China's geopolitical influence advances with the Belt and Road initiative and the People's Liberation Army taking the rearguard, to protect investments and trade routes from potential threats.Alongside the PLA, which operates as a rearguard, China already has di248 on site
verse Private Security Companies (PSC) ready to intervene. 20 to 40 Chinese PSCs already operate overseas in approximately 40 countries, and more than 7,000 are operated domestically. A final area of opportunity for Chinese PSCs abroad is the training of foreign military forces.
Myanmar leader General Min Aung Hlaing visited Yunnan and Chongqing in China in mid-November, attended the eighth meeting of leaders of economic cooperation in the Greater Mekong subregion and conducted a low-key visit to some major Chinese manufacturing companies; this event also attracted the attention of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) given Myanmar's important geostrategic position.
China's influence on investment around the world is rapidly increasing, but at the same time another huge obstacle has also emerged, namely the conflict between Chinese enterprises abroad, foreign interests and so-called nationalist forces in some villages.
For example, the serious security problems surrounding China's investments in the "Pakistan Railway". The security threats faced by Chinese-funded enterprises in Myanmar have also been quite severe, and have now reached a point where they are in danger. In fact, iMyanmar is one of the countries with the most complex security environment in Asia.
The key point is that some anti-government forces in Myanmar have stubbornly opposed economic cooperation between the Chinese and Burmese governments.
On November 9, 2017, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with then-State Counselor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and proposed a plan to build the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which runs from Yunnan in China, crosses the border China-Myanmar and goes south to Mandeb; then it extends from east to west to Yangon New City and Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone.
Recently, according to widespread "rumors", the Myanmar government has accepted the cooperation project with China for the creation of a joint security company (Myanmar calls it the Joint Security Forces). A 13-person committee would be established between China and Min Aung Hlaing's military government on October 22, 2024, responsible for reviewing cooperation plans and evaluating imported weapons and security equipment.
According to the South Asia Research Newsletter, China has made major strides in ensuring the safety of projects and personnel in Myanmar. The Myanmar authorities have agreed to establish a Joint Security Company (JVSC) with us. Burmese media outlet The Irrawaddy reported that one or more groups of "capable youth" have arrived at the site of major Chinese-funded projects in Myanmar. Local sources said they were advanced personnel of the China-Myanmar Joint Security Company.
Burmese media also said that United Security Company security forces may adopt a “safe island” approach to protecting Chinese-funded projects in Myanmar, meaning that they, rather than Burmese personnel, will “directly control” the interests of the Chinese in their financed projects and in neighboring areas. This move will prevent United Security Company personnel from relying on Myanmar authorities to provide manpower, logistical support, etc.
The above news was confirmed by Myanmar's "Neutral News". According to his report, China and Myanmar will cooperate to establish a security company in Myanmar to ensure the security of Chinese-funded enterprises in Myanmar, and it can also play a positive and significant role in consolidating the status of Min Aung Hlaing's armed forces.
Chinese sources specify that some “big things” are slowly changing.
First, China has extremely rich ex-military assets. Each year, between 500,000 and 700,000 veterans return to society from the military. Some of them will be recruited by the China-Myanmar Joint Security Company (JVSC), and will also be sent to many countries and regions around the world to protect China's investments and interests, such as Southeast Asia, Africa and the South America.
Secondly, regarding Myanmar, China is now not only able to seriously cooperate with the Myanmar government, but also has in-depth exchanges with many Chinese military forces in northern Myanmar. THEChina's influence is actually an important force to gradually suppress the large-scale civil war in Myanmar. This is also the goal for which the Chinese government has engaged with several pro-Chinese local armed forces in northern Myanmar. Part of these military forces may be personnel of the China-Myanmar Joint Security Company, specifically responsible for securing important local infrastructure from China.
Third, the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor plan, whether it is the construction and protection of oil and gas pipelines, the protection of related road and bridge construction, as well as the construction and protection of infrastructure in important geographical nodes, including cities and connected ports, is an entity with enormous interests. Therefore, as part of a major economic revitalization plan for Myanmar, the Chinese government has proposed to jointly establish security companies with host countries and in Myanmar.
Fourth, China wants private security forces not to collude with the country's internal and external forces. Therefore, the opening of joint security companies established by China and the invested countries will secure both Chinese state and local private capital.
Fifth, China not only has abundant "troop sources", but also has a strong armaments industry production capacity. China has begun to view the arms economy, the foreign sale of weapons, as a new industry that must also be protected by security companies.
The framework described is placed within the third phase of the Belt and Road which consists of the military defense of Chinese investments and trade routes from potential threats. Alongside the PLA, which is operating as a rearguard, China already has several Private Security Companies (PSCs) on site ready to intervene. 20 to 40 Chinese PSCs already operate overseas in around 40 countries, and more than 7,000 are operated domestically. A final area of opportunity for Chinese PSCs abroad is the training of foreign military forces, Chinese paramilitary forces known as the People's Armed Police (PAP). This force has used violent tactics to quell protests in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and has even been deployed to Cuba to train police in riot control measures. Its training academy in Kunming (capital of Yunnan province) offers training courses for police from over 60 countries.
China's military-civilian fusion (MCF) strategy – which dictates that military requirements must guide infrastructure construction – may also have important implications for overseas infrastructure projects and BRI investments to support the PLA's military might .
References and sources of information
Guancha "Min Aung Hlaing visits China discreetly and agrees to a 'common security society'. China is expected to make no breakthrough in protecting foreign interests|Issue 1712"
Neutral News "China and Myanmar will cooperate to establish a security company in Myanmar to ensure the safety of China-funded enterprises in Myanmar"
South Asia Research Newsletter "China has made major strides in ensuring the safety of projects and personnel in Myanmar"
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