Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing visits Vietnam — SkimNews
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- Min Aung Hlaing landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at noon Friday for a three-day visit to Vietnam, his third trip to an ASEAN member state since the 2021 coup
- Min Aung Hlaing is expected to meet Vietnamese President To Lam and other senior officials and attend a business forum with members of his Cabinet
- Myanmar-Vietnam trade fell from $853 million in 2020 to $590 million in 2025 and just $335 million in the first half of 2026 — figures Min Aung Hlaing shared with Vietnam's Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung when they met in Myanmar in late August
- Vietnam maintains longstanding military ties with Myanmar, including defense cooperation and Viettel, Vietnam's military-run telecom group, which co-owns Mytel, one of Myanmar's major telecom operators
- Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president in April after an election critics say was designed to cement military rule; he was barred from top-level ASEAN meetings following his February 2021 ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi's government
- Min Aung Hlaing has traveled to India, China, Laos, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia since the coup to court investment, while Western governments have sanctioned him and his associates for the takeover and ongoing human rights violations
Why it matters: Min Aung Hlaing's Vietnam visit is his third ASEAN trip since the 2021 coup, a sign he is rebuilding regional engagement after years of isolation — yet bilateral trade has collapsed roughly 60% since 2020, exposing the gap between diplomatic outreach and actual economic recovery. Vietnam's deep military-corporate ties, including Viettel's Mytel stake, make it a natural partner willing to engage where Western governments will not.
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