Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s leadership under former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday, reinforcing Beijing’s influence as its southern neighbour struggles to contain a gruelling civil war.
Speaking after a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said Beijing prioritised its ties with Myanmar, which he said held an “important position” in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
“I am willing to strengthen strategic guidance with you, carry forward our pauk-phaw friendship, and deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation,” Xi said, according to news footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV. He was using a Burmese term that refers to the two countries’ close-knit ties.
As Myanmar’s neighbour with the longest shared border, China was “a trusted friend and steadfast partner”, Xi told his counterpart from Myanmar.
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“In the face of an international situation intertwined with changes and turbulence, both sides must maintain strategic clarity and resolve, and strengthen unity and cooperation,” he said.
This is Min Aung Hlaing’s first state visit to China and his second foreign trip since taking office in April following a three-phase parliamentary election that critics and Western nations dismissed as a “sham”.
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Following a closed-door meeting at the Great Hall of the People, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents. According to Reuters, the 18 memorandums of understanding cover areas from cross-border transport in the Greater Mekong subregion and free trade to help in natural disasters, health and media.