Myanmar

China is the most important external partner for Myanmar, ahead of neighbour Thailand. China leads in terms of economic, cultural, and diplomatic influence, a result that in part reflects the relative isolation of post-coup Myanmar. However, it is notable that China ranks just fourth as a defence partner for Myanmar, behind India, Russia, and Thailand, reflecting the historical lack of trust between China and the Myanmar military. A weak and crisis-torn country, Myanmar does not project influence in any other country in Southeast Asia.