Bangkok– Bangkok (AP) – from china Top diplomat visited on Saturday from myanmar met the leader of the capital and its military-backed government a field trip It aims to strengthen Beijing’s political, security and strategic ties in Southeast Asia.
State-run MRTV television reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Min Aung Hlaing discussed enhancing Myanmar’s international relations and cooperation. Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Wang’s visit to Naypyitaw comes after Min Aung Hlaing Sworn in The presidential decree follows an election on April 10 that critics say was neither free nor fair and was designed to maintain the military’s hold on power five years after ousting the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The report said Min Aung Hlaing told Wang that he was pleased that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent him a congratulatory message within hours of his election.
China, which has major geopolitical and economic interests in Myanmar, is Myanmar’s largest trading partner and long-term ally. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar’s mines, oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure and is a major arms supplier along with Russia.
China is one of the few countries that has openly supported the recent elections and sent congratulatory messages to Min Aung Hlaing after he became president.
ASEAN, whose 11 members include Myanmar, was one of those outside groupings. did not recognize Following Myanmar’s elections most opposition groups were ousted and dissent was strictly prohibited. Voting could not take place in some areas due to the ongoing civil war in Myanmar.
Myanmar leaders were barred from attending previous ASEAN meetings in April 2021 after the bloc failed to implement a peace plan agreed to, which called for an immediate end to violence, dialogue between all parties and humanitarian assistance.
Myanmar’s previous military government led by Min Aung Hlaing had allowed limited humanitarian aid on its own restrictive terms and did not follow other terms of the plan.
In his 10 April inaugural speech, Min Aung Hlaing said that restoring normal relations with ASEAN was one of his top priorities.
Saturday’s report said the two sides also exchanged views on border stability, trade, cooperation in eliminating cybercrime and Myanmar’s internal peace efforts.
China also maintains ties with ethnic armed groups operating near its border, including the powerful “Three Brotherhood Alliance”, which has been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central government.
The coalition captured large swathes of territory near the Chinese border and western Myanmar between late 2023 and 2024, prompting resistance forces opposed to the military regime to expand their operations across the country.
However, a series of ceasefires brokered by China last year slowed their advance, allowing the army to recapture key areas and gain the upper hand by mid-2025.
