Min Aung Hlaing begins visit to China
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lin Jian told the media at a press conference in the capital Beijing on Friday that Min Aung Hlaing will meet President Xi Jinping during a state visit to China June 15-19. The trip will mark Min Aung Hlaing’s second trip abroad since visiting India May 30-June 3, following his inauguration as Burma’s president by a pro-military parliament on April 10.
Mon Zin, a Burma-China analyst, told DVB that Beijing will want security guarantees from Min Aung Hlaing regarding its natural gas pipelines. The deep sea port in Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu Township serves as a strategic hub for Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, including oil and gas pipelines, electrical power facilities, and transportation networks. Control of Kyaukphyu is contested by the Arakan Army (AA), which has seized 14 of the 16 other townships in Arakan since 2023.
Min Aung Hlaing’s scheduled meeting with President Xi will be his third meeting with the Chinese leader since he staged a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 and jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Her son, Kim Aris, has launched a global fitness and solidarity campaign called the “81 for 81” challenge as a part of the global demand for Naypyidaw to provide “proof of life” for Aung San Suu Kyi, who’s been held for over five years.
US citizen and prominent Myanmar analyst arrested in China
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed on Friday that authorities arrested Min Zin, a U.S. citizen, on suspicions of spying and endangering national security. Lin Jian told a press conference that China notified the U.S. consulate general in the southern city of Guangzhou when asked about a report from The New York Times that Min Zin had disappeared in the southwest city of Kunming last week.
Min Zin is the executive director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar). Beijing has reportedly accused the veteran political scientist and democracy advocate of “endangering national security.” According to family members, contact with Min Zin was abruptly lost on June 3 during a trip to the capital of Yunnan Province, which shares a border with Burma.
Min Zin is widely recognized as one of the foremost academic authorities on the complex geopolitical ties between Beijing and Naypyidaw. The U.S. acknowledged the situation following an official press inquiry. “We are aware of reports regarding a U.S. citizen detained in China,” the U.S. State Department reported on June 11. “Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained, we work to provide the appropriate consular assistance.” Read more
Myanmar detains US businessman who wrote book on 2021 coup
Adam Castillo, an American citizen, was detained at the Yangon International Airport upon return to Burma from the U.S. on Thursday, according to two people briefed on the matter who spoke to the Reuters news agency. Castillo is an American businessperson and the former head of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Yangon, where he founded and owns a security firm called AGS Myanmar.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said it was aware of reports of the detention of an American but had no further comment “due to privacy concerns.” A regime spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Castillo had been promoting his book, Finding Our Voice, about being in Burma after the 2021 coup that threw the country into turmoil, according to his social media posts.
Castillo, a former U.S. Marine, reportedly visited the White House last year and suggested to officials that Washington, D.C., play a peace-broker role with a view to accessing rare earth minerals from Burma. His book chronicles the military’s 2021 anti-coup crackdown on pro-democracy protesters but also criticizes Washington’s policy, including sanctions, as ineffective and advocates for more business engagement.
News by Region
ARAKAN—Residents of Ramree Township told DVB that the Burma Navy arrested 10 traders and seized one cargo boat transporting food items and fuel near Minkyaung Creek on Tuesday. Ramree, located 278 miles (447 km) south of the state capital Sittwe, was seized by the Arkan Army (AA) in March 2024.
The boat and the 10 traders were taken to Kyaukphyu Township, which is under regime control. Burma Navy vessels have been patrolling the coast and have been accused of shelling Ramree, Kyaukphyu and Thandwe townships. Kyaukphyu and Thandwe are located 60-124 miles (97-200 km) north and south of Ramree.
KACHIN—The regime’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology estimated on Friday that the water level in the Irrawaddy River could surpass 25 feet (7.6 meters) over the weekend. A resident in the state capital Myitkyina Township told DVB that locals fear the rising water levels.
The water level in the river rose to 10 feet (3 meters) last week. The river’s critical threshold is 39 feet (11.9 meters). More than 31,000 residents from low-lying areas were evacuated from their homes in Myitkyina due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall that damaged 45 wards and 29 villages in 2025.
NAYPYIDAW—Regime-appointed Police commissioner Zaw Lin Tun stated that a total of 746 “fugitives” have been arrested with the help of a digital surveillance technology called Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS) at toll gates, checkpoints, and during overnight guest list inspections since April 10.
PSMS was established by the regime in March 2025 to monitor citizens’ online and offline activities, according to the Myanmar Internet Project. It stated on Feb. 14 that 49 people have been arrested from November 2025 to January 2026 for social media posts that “disrupted” the military’s 2025-26 “sham” elections.
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