Myanmar's military chief on first visit to ally China since coup
Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has embarked on his first visit to China since seizing power in 2021.
The army chief is due to visit the southwestern city of Kunming on Wednesday to attend a two-day summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – a group including China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Min Aung Hlaing would attend, saying, “Against a background of a weakening global recovery and geopolitical turbulence, the need to strengthen unity and cooperation, and to focus on development and prosperity, are becoming more prominent.”
Min Aung Hlaing led a coup in February 2021 that took power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party.
However, his government has suffered recent setbacks on the battlefield as rebel fighters and armed ethnic minority groups fight against military rule, especially in areas near the Chinese border.
China is a major ally and arms supplier to the military government, but analysts say Beijing also maintains ties with ethnic armed groups which hold territory along its border.
China is a major arms supplier and also Myanmar’s biggest trading partner. It has invested billions of dollars in its mines, oil and gas pipelines, and other infrastructure.
However, while the Myanmar leader is embarking on his first trip to the country, he has visited Russia, another key ally, several times since the coup, including meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
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