I

t is interesting to note that Myanmar'€™s government refrained from apologizing to China, opting to express deep regret instead, after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang described the bombing of territory in China'€™s Yunnan province on Friday as '€œa very distressful matter'€. The premier warned that China would '€œfirmly safeguard stability in the border areas'€.

'€œWe would like to express our deep sorrow for [the] death and injuries of Chinese nationals living in border areas as a consequence,'€ the government said in a statement.

China is furious with Myanmar for breaching their shared 2,000-kilometer border. China has border disputes with its neighbors, including another Asian giant, India, and has repeatedly warned that it will not tolerate violations of its territorial integrity.

Myanmar'€™s decision to chase Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army rebels deep into China territory was apparently the culmination of its frustration with the rebel group, allegedly led by an ethnic Chinese commander. The country has battled separatist rebels for years, with the military often taking advantage of claims of disintegration threats when rebels were not crushed.

The recent incident was likely China'€™s strongest protest of Myanmar since October 2011 when Myanmar President Thein Sein canceled a Chinese-funded hydropower dam on the Irrawaddy River without prior consultation with China. The reformist leader argued at the time that his government had dropped the project because it went '€œagainst the will of the people'€.

For decades, China has exercised nearly absolute '€œcontrol'€ over Myanmar, the world'€™s worst pariah state after North Korea. ASEAN, with Indonesia on the frontlines, continued to pressure the Myanmar junta to open itself up to the outside world. The regional grouping was also successful in '€œseparating'€ Myanmar from Beijing.

Myanmar, however, should remember that China, a country that is always highly sensitive to issues of territorial sovereignty, will remain its largest neighbor. Naturally, both have their own account of the border incident. Myanmar is facing rampaging rebellious groups who demand autonomy or full independence from the country. Indonesia has faced similar challenges, especially after the fall of Soeharto in May 1998.

Overcoming separatists, however, will never succeed through guns and military oppression alone. As a country in the process of reform, Myanmar frets over its territorial integrity. But its military intrusion into Chinese territory will only provoke retaliation from its neighbor.