Xi Hosts Myanmar Junta Chief in Beijing for Deeper Ties
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- Xi Jinping hosted Min Aung Hlaing at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, the start of the Myanmar leader's five-day visit that runs until Friday.
- Min Aung Hlaing's trip is his first to China since he formalized his grip on power following controversial elections in war-torn Myanmar held in December and January.
- The two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, though China's Xinhua state media did not elaborate on their contents.
- China remains one of Myanmar's most important foreign partners since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021, triggering an armed uprising.
- Beijing has invested in Belt and Road projects in Myanmar, including an oil and gas pipeline crossing the country and a planned deep-sea port.
- The Beijing meeting is Min Aung Hlaing's second with Xi in less than a year, after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last August.
- Though Min Aung Hlaing's first foreign trip as president was to India, analysts said his China visits suggested a closer Beijing relationship and a boost to his international acceptance.
Why it matters: China is consolidating its role as Myanmar military government's key diplomatic backer, hosting Min Aung Hlaing for a five-day state visit complete with a Great Hall welcome ceremony and new cooperation pacts. With Beijing already funding Belt and Road oil and gas pipelines and a planned deep-sea port, analysts read the visit as cementing a closer Beijing relationship — even though Min Aung Hlaing's first foreign trip was to India.
