Recently, the official English weekly newspaper "Myanmar Times" interviews H.E. Ambassador Guan Mu, in which the Ambassador briefly introduces himself to all circles in Myanmar, and also covers his opinions on priorities as the ambassador and the outlook for bilateral relations. The main discussion goes as the following:

Where were you born?
I was born at Jilin in northeastern China, in 1952.

Where were you educated?
I graduated from Beijing University in 1974 with bachelor's degree in the Department of  Oriental Languages and Cultural Studies, with a major in the Thai language.

When did you join the foreign service?
I joined the foreign service in 1974. At the time I graduated, China's diplomatic relations with the rest of the world were developing rapidly. The period after China joined the United Nations in 1971 saw improvements in its relations with some big Western nations and positive developments in its relations with its neighbors. I joined the civil service because I wanted to serve my country in a capacity that was compatible with my academic qualifications.

Where have you served before?
As a fluent Thai speaker, I served 3 times at the Chinese embassy in Bangkok in various capacities from 1977 to 1999, after which I served as the minister counselor at the Chinese embassy in Singapore for three years. Before being appointed ambassador to Myanmar I was deputy director-general of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

What is the essence of effective diplomacy?
As the diplomatic service involves heavy and challenging tasks, diplomats need to be hard working to be successful in performing their duties. Working in the foreign service is also a sense of honor.

What do you most enjoy about your job?
The job as a diplomat enables me to expand friendships with people, which is also an important aspect in Chinese traditional culture. Through my work in the diplomatic service I can also contribute to the expansion of friendly ties between my country and other peace-loving nations in the world and thus help to maintain world peace as well as common development.

How do you feel about your appointment as ambassador to Myanmar?
China and Myanmar are traditionally close neighbours as we share a more than 2100- kilometre long border. The number of diplomatic and economic interactions with Myanmar is promising. Bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries are also strong. Apart from that I have a strong personal interest in Myanmar, which is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. I am also impressed by Myanmar's natural beauty and pleasant climate.

What are your priorities as ambassador?
China's current foreign policy focuses on establishing closer ties and partnerships with its neighbors. Among its neighbors, China's relationship with Myanmar is among the closest and I wish to work for a further strengthening of bilateral relations during my posting in Yangon. We should also increase contacts to have better understanding of each other's situation. Such contacts would help to propel our bilateral ties to a higher level.

What is the current status of bilateral diplomatic and economic relations?
The two countries have a relationship based on mutual respect and equality as well as mutual support and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We developed our relations based on the five principles of peaceful co-existence, which were jointly developed by China and Myanmar together with some other countries during the 1950s and continue to be very important guidelines of international relations. We have strong trade and commercial interactions between the two countries, and the steady progress in Sino-Myanmar relations is conducive for bilateral cooperation and regional development. Myanmar, as a member of Association of Southeast Asia, with which China has a close economic relations, also benefiting from such economic interactions. China also gives priority to helping the economic development of Myanmar and the other newer members of ASEAN by reducing tariffs on imports from those countries.

What is the outlook for bilateral diplomatic and economic relations?
We have a brilliant outlook for further development in bilateral relations. There is huge room for increasing bilateral economic ties as the Chinese economy is growing at a fast rate and because Myanmar has huge potential for economic development. We are working sincerely to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields. I am confident and hopeful that bilateral cooperation in all fields will be further strengthened in the coming years.

What is your favourite travel destination?   
I like to visit to the seaside in any part of the world. Visiting the seaside enables me to appreciate the immensity of nature. People should learn from the sea to have a broad mind to be benevolent and tolerant.

How do you relax?
I like to relax with a round of golf.
    

(from "Think Aloud" of Myanmar Times)