Overview
- President Min Aung Hlaing met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday in a five-day state visit that included a formal welcome ceremony and high-level talks.
- The two sides witnessed the signing of 18 memoranda covering cross-border transport, free trade, disaster aid, health, media and other cooperation areas.
- Analysts say China’s agenda focuses on securing access to rare earths, protecting Belt and Road investments and tightening border security, with officials from Kachin and Shan states joining the delegation to discuss local projects.
- Beijing’s show of support and the deal package provide Min Aung Hlaing with visible international recognition after the contested election that elevated him to the presidency.
- The visit is shadowed by tensions over the arrest in China of Myanmar scholar Min Zin and by persistent cross-border fraud operations, and it strengthens China’s leverage over Myanmar as the country remains engulfed in a long civil war with heavy human costs.