China should provide disaster relief in ASEAN region to ensure sustainability of economic ties
After a powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar on August 24, China and its neighbors should expedite cooperation over disaster relief, despite the fact that the road for promoting political and social links in East Asia and Southeast Asia is always bumpy due to the complexity of geopolitical issues. Media reports said the earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 has left at least four people dead and damaged scores of centuries-old Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar. We believe China will certainly be willing to lend a hand to Myanmar not least because of the ties China has built with the Southeast Asian country. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar has issued an urgent notice to remind Chinese citizens travelling to the Southeast Asian country of precautions against earthquakes and aftershocks. It is not hard to imagine Chinese people will put their travel plans on hold to Myanmar after this warning. This would be an unfortunate impediment to the development of Myanmar’s tourism industry, an increasing important contributor to the country’s economy.
