Editing Foreign relations of Myanmar (section)

===France===
{{main|France–Myanmar relations}}
Franco-Burmese relations go back to the early 18th century, as the [[John Law's Company|French East India Company]] attempted to extend its influence into Southeast Asia. French involvement started in 1729 when it built a shipyard in the city of [[Thanlyin|Syriam]].<ref>South (2003), p. 79</ref> The 1740 revolt of the [[Mon State|Mon]] against Burmese rule, however, forced the French to depart in 1742.<ref>Liang (1990), p. 14</ref> They were able to return to [[Rattanakosin Kingdom|Siam]] in 1751 when the Mon requested French assistance against the Burmese. A French envoy, [[Sieur de Bruno]] was sent to evaluate the situation and help in the defence against the Burmese. French warships were sent to support the Mon rebellion, but in vain. In 1756, the Burmese under [[Alaungpaya]] vanquished the Mon. Many French were captured and incorporated into the Burmese Army as an elite gunner corps, under [[Chevalier Milard]]. In 1769, official contacts resumed when a trade treaty was signed between [[Hsinbyushin|King Hsinbyushin]] and the French East India Company.<ref>Bhuyan (1974), p. 460</ref>

Soon after, however, France was convulsed by the [[French Revolution]] and [[Napoleonic Wars]], thus allowing overwhelming British influence in Burma. French contacts with Myanmar, effectively a British colony, became almost non-existent. Instead, from the second half of the 19th century, France concentrated on the establishment of [[French Indochina]] and the conflicts with China leading to the [[Sino-French War]]. Following the end of [[World War II]], ambassador-level diplomatic relationships between France and Burma were established in 1948, soon after the Burmese nation became an independent republic on 4 January 1948, as ''Union of Burma'', with [[Sao Shwe Thaik]] as its first President and [[U Nu]] as its first [[Prime Minister of Myanmar|Prime Minister]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ambafrance-mm.org/|title=La France en Birmanie|website=Ambafrance-mm.org|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=28 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128045705/http://www.ambafrance-mm.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>