Myanmar’s president to pay state visit to China

Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing will pay a state visit to China next week, Beijing announced on Friday.

The visit by Min, who was elected president in April after directly ruling Myanmar as military chief following the 2021 coup that overthrew a civilian government, comes at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

It added Min will begin his five-day visit on June 15.

This is Min’s first bilateral visit to China since he began ruling the Southeast Asian nation directly over the past five years.

After being elected, Min paid his first overseas trip to India. Myanmar shares borders with two Asian nations.

Besides talks with Xi, Min will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang as well as top Chinese lawmaker Zhao Leji, according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.

“China and Myanmar are traditional friends, neighbors and a community with a shared future. Bilateral relations have come a long way since diplomatic relations were established 76 years ago,” Lin told reporters in Beijing.

Beijing looks to working with Myanmar to use the upcoming visit by Min as “an opportunity to renew friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation and deliver more practical results,” said Lin.

Min’s trip comes after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week hosted his Myanmar counterpart Tin Maung Swe in Beijing.

Wang vowed to enhance ties with Myanmar, which formed the Min-led government amid internal ethnic tensions.

Separately, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wang will pay a three-day visit to Mongolia from Saturday at the invitation of his counterpart Battsetseg Batmunkh.

It added that Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal will pay a four-day visit to China from June 14 at the invitation of Wang.