Myanmar Coup Prompts ‘Chaos’ At WH, Fears Over Angering China
The Biden White House’s response to the unfolding coup in Myanmar has been described by insiders as “chaos” – including fears over angering the Chinese Communist Party with its response.
As reported by Politico, people close to the Biden administration have been “frustrated” by the response“:
People familiar with the Biden administration’s internal deliberations told Politico on Monday that U.S. officials appeared to be frustrated by the developments, not least because of the timing, and were scrambling to figure out how to coordinate, respond — domestically as well as internationally — and whether to call what happened a “coup.” One described the scene as “chaos.”
“The people familiar with the discussions pointed out that top positions at places like the State Department — such as assistant secretaries of State for East Asia and for human rights — have yet to be filled on a permanent basis. Plus, some of the lower-level officials now in place are fairly new to the Myanmar beat, as is the U.S. ambassador to the country,” the outlet added.
What’s more, insiders revealed that a key factor influence the Biden team’s response is the fear of angering the Chinese Communist Party.
“Officials fear that the White House calling the military takeover a coup could anger China and force the United States to withdraw foreign aid,” The Daily Mail added.
