June 15, Kathmandu – Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Beijing on Monday for a five-day official visit. This trip is at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 69-year-old Hlaing’s visit marks his first to China since becoming president. Earlier in April, Myanmar’s military-backed parliament elected him as president. Prior to this, he served as the head of Myanmar’s military junta and chief of the armed forces. Hlaing was the key architect of the 2021 coup that ousted the democratically elected government.
His transition from military chief to civilian president legally solidifies his hold on power in Myanmar. The 2021 coup ended a decade of democratic progress in the country, prompting many foreign investors to withdraw from what was considered a promising Asian emerging market. During the visit, President Hlaing is scheduled for bilateral talks with Xi Jinping. He will also hold separate meetings with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress, who rank second and third in China’s political hierarchy respectively.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry remarked at a press conference last week that historically strong fraternal ties and cooperation exist between China and Myanmar, and this visit is expected to elevate bilateral relations to a new level. This is not President Hlaing’s first foreign trip since taking office; he undertook a five-day visit to India at the end of May. Given the ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar, this Beijing visit is anticipated to involve significant discussions focusing on Chinese investment projects and border security.
