The head of Myanmar’s new military-backed government began a five-day visit to China yesterday, his first to the country since his appointment as president in April.
During his trip, Min Aung Hlaing is expected to hold talks with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, the two countries said in separate statements.
Arriving yesterday in Beijing, the 69-year-old man was received on the red carpet. According to an article in the official Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, “a Chinese child and a Burmese child presented bouquets to welcome the delegation led by the president.” He was then taken to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and received “a warm and enthusiastic welcome” along the way.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference on Friday that China hoped to use the visit to renew its friendship with Myanmar and deepen “comprehensive strategic cooperation”, AFP news agency reported.
Myanmar state media was slightly more forthcoming, saying Min Aung Hlaing “will engage in cordial and open exchanges of views on issues aimed at further strengthening the existing Pauk-Phaw relations between Myanmar and China, as well as enhancing cooperation between the two governments and people in various sectors, including economic and security affairs.” (“Pauk-Phaw” is a special term that the two nations have used to describe their “brotherly” ties since the early 1950s.)
In addition to meetings with China’s top leaders, Min Aung Hlaing will meet with provincial leaders and business representatives. He is also expected to “attend an economic conference and visit advanced high-tech industrial enterprises.”
The trip is Min Aung Hlaing’s second since he was sworn in as president in April, following a multi-phase election that was widely criticized as a ruse to perpetuate the military’s grip on power. The election was boycotted by many opposition parties and dominated by the military’s political proxy, the Trade Union, Solidarity and Development Party. It was also canceled in many parts of the country affected by conflict or under the control of armed resistance groups.
Since taking office, Min Aung Hlaing has launched a campaign to normalize Myanmar’s relations with key regional partners. Late last month, he began a five-day state visit to India, Myanmar’s other major neighbor, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other officials and business leaders. He and Modi reportedly “stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation” and pledged to strengthen cooperation in technology, energy, critical minerals and cross-border infrastructure.
Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to China comes after Wang Yi hosted his Burmese counterpart Tin Maung Swe in Beijing in early June. During their meeting, Wang said China “is willing to work with the new government of Myanmar to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust and deepen strategic cooperation,” according to a Xinhua report.
Tin Maung Swe said Naypyidaw was “willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with China”, promote Chinese investment in Myanmar and advance the construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, a group of infrastructure projects linking China’s Yunnan province to Myanmar’s coast on the Andaman Sea. He also promised to “resolutely combat online gambling and telecommunications fraud and make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Myanmar.”
Attention has focused on Min Aung Hlaing’s trip due to the arrest in China earlier this month of a Myanmar-born U.S. citizen who led a prominent Myanmar-focused think tank. Min Zin, co-founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar), was arrested in early June in the city of Kunming. He has since “been placed under criminal detention by relevant authorities in accordance with the law on suspicion of espionage and endangering China’s national security,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said last week.
ISP-Myanmar has previously published detailed research on Chinese relations with Myanmar, including its significant investments in the country’s infrastructure.
Overall, China’s welcoming of Min Aung Hlaing is a strong gesture of support for his government. Despite its initial dissatisfaction with the 2021 coup, Beijing quickly came to view the Myanmar military as the best option to prevent the disintegration of the Myanmar state and safeguard Beijing’s strategic interests in the country.
As a Chinese analyst told the Global Times, Min Aung Hlaing’s visit “provides an opportunity for China and Myanmar to advance practical cooperation in multiple areas”, saying there was “substantial room for cooperation” in energy and mineral resource projects.
For Myanmar, the visit highlights China’s important status as a key partner of the new military government. Despite disruptions from ongoing conflicts in Shan State and elsewhere along the China-Myanmar border, China remains Myanmar’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade volume totaling around $19.4 billion in 2025.
Whatever the military’s private fears about its over-reliance on China, it is clear that good relations with Beijing are vital if the military-backed government is to consolidate its position and begin the slow journey toward international acceptance.