Summary: "Chinese scholars of Southeast Asian affairs told EAP DAS Eric John that Burma presents a major challenge and opportunity for United States-China relations following China?s veto blocking a Burma resolution in the UN Security Council (UNSC). The academics said China wants to cooperate with the United States and continues to pressure Burma to reform, but may emphasize economic reform and resolving ethnic conflicts more than the political inclusiveness that the United States stresses. Zhai said China thinks Burma?s plans for a new constitution are "better than nothing" and that America?s criticism of procedural and other flaws in the regime?s roadmap toward national reunification might be lost on Beijing. DAS John countered that a bad constitution is worse than nothing if it permanently excludes from the political process any legitimate opposition. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the United States and China share many interests, including promoting economic growth, increasing cooperation on nontraditional security issues and fighting terrorism. The weakness and indecisiveness of ASEAN creates problems for building regional architecture. China sees Southeast Asia as a growing market, especially for exports from China?s border provinces. Vietnam is rapidly growing more powerful and this causes China some concern, according to the scholars." End Summary.