Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Beijing on Monday for a five-day visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China’s state media reported. This marked his first trip to the world’s second-largest economy since assuming the presidency in Myanmar and his second trip abroad following his visit to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi May 30 to June 3.
Min Aung Hlaing, 69, is the former commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military who was the architect of a 2021 coup that led to an uprising against a return to military rule and a wave of international sanctions.
He was inaugurated as Myanmar’s president on April 10 by a pro-military parliament packed with loyalists elected in polls called a “sham” by the U.N. and several western countries.
Min Aung Hlaing’s journey from Myanmar’s top general to a “civilian” president formalized his grip on power after the 2021 coup that ended a decade of tentative democracy and sparked an exodus of foreign investors from what was once one of Asia’s most promising frontier markets.
During his visit this week, Min Aung Hlaing will hold talks with President Xi. He will also meet with China’s Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the country’s top legislator.
“China and Myanmar have stood together through thick and thin, looked out for each other and forged solidarity and cooperation, promoting China-Myanmar relations to achieve considerable progress,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said last week.
Earlier this month, Min Aung Hlaing spent time in India, which shares a 1,21 miles (1,643 km) border, as part of a broader effort to re-engage with the rest of the world after years of isolation caused by international sanctions.
REUTERS
