Myanmar as Nexus: Sino-Indian Rivalries on the Frontier.

The economic emergence of Burma (Myanmar) from its socialist autarkic isolation in 1988 did not change the internal distribution of power, which remains in military hands. It did, however, encourage the internal and foreign private sectors within state-defined bounds, and legalized the over- land smuggling trade. This reform thus created new economic rivalries among Burma's neighbors. China, Thailand, and India all play significant roles, but Chinese economic dominance and political influence with the Burmese military is of growing concern to India, as Burma flanks the disputed northeastern border with China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]