The major question in everybody's mind must be Burma. China holds more influence with the Rangoon dictatorship than any government. Beijing obviously will be putting pressure on Burma in coming weeks and months to change its ways and co-operate. As long as Rangoon continues to provide a safe haven for drug traffickers and money launderers, the region will continue to bear the consequences. No matter how much it goes against China's policy of non-interference with other regimes, Beijing must be willing to press Rangoon hard.
China is in the midst of a drug-abuse epidemic in the border province of Yunnan.
That has led directly to a second and arguably more fearful epidemic of HIV and Aids. As in Thailand, the flood of drugs into China has created a major security threat. The drug cartel of the United Wa State Army is prospering and expanding. Its new alliance with the Hong Kong-based 14K triad has begun shipping heroin out of the Mong Yawn area in massive amounts. The seizure on July 17 of 74kg of Wa-14K heroin was, as usual, the tip of the iceberg.