Myanmar’s decision to shelve the Chinese-backed Myitsone Dam project shocked China. Likewise, the killing of 13 Chinese boat crewmen on the Mekong River in October serves as a stark reminder that China’s presumably peaceful southern land border, which has been untroubled for nearly 20 years, today resembles the most hostile sort of neighborhood.
从与越南和菲律宾的南中国海领海之争，到与缅甸和泰国的紧张局势，曾经良好甚至可谓友善的邻邦关系急转直下。缅甸决定搁置中国支持的密松大坝项目，令中国大为震惊。此外，10月，13名中国船员在湄公河遇害，此事件不啻当头一击，中国向来稳固的南部边境——已有近20年时间没有发生任何麻烦——现在似乎成了对中国敌意最深的邻邦。