Junta media called Min Aung Hlaing’s recent visit to China an extraordinarily successful trip in their reports.
The junta boss visited Kunming in Yunnan Province from Nov. 5-10 in his first trip to China since the 2021 coup.
Though the trip focused on the 8th Greater Mekong Subregion Summit, it represented China’s explicit support for the regime amid the civil war in Myanmar. Observers say China arranged for the junta boss to hold constructive talks with government leaders from Thailand, Cambodia and Laos on his poll plan and investments in Myanmar.
During his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Min Aung Hlaing, who is desperate for Beijing’s intervention to halt the fighting in northern Shan State and for diplomatic support on the international stage, promised to launch construction of the Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railroad in secure areas, adding that Myanmar also attached great importance to the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project.
The railway is part of the corridor, which aims to link landlocked Kunming to a deep-sea port in Rakhine state on Myanmar’s western coast.
Li also vowed to help with the junta’s proposed poll, which has been criticized by opposition groups as a sham. Moreover, he mentioned that the border posts of the two countries should be under the control of governments. He called for the acceleration of the economic corridor scheme, which he called “a top project”, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar.
Li expressed China’s support for Myanmar in upholding its sovereignty and territory, and said it does not accept any efforts based on the Chinese side of the border to harm the interests of Myanmar, according to junta media.
Min Aung Hlaing also met Chinese business leaders in Kunming, urging them to invest in Myanmar’s failing economy, and saying that they could use yuan instead of dollars.
Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun, who accompanied the junta boss on his China trip, told junta media at the airport that the junta boss held talks with the prime ministers of China, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, and the trip was extraordinarily successful in helping improve the socio-economic life of Myanmar people.
One political analyst said China has resuscitated Min Aung Hlaing, who is faced with various crises.
His China trip was diplomatically successful, but won’t help solve the military crisis he is facing for now, he said.
China has been explicitly putting pressure on ethnic armed organizations based along the border to stop fighting, but fighting continues in Rakhine, Kachin, Karen and Chin states as well as Sagaing and northern Mandalay in central Myanmar.
Despite Min Aung Hlaing’s promise to kickstart the railroad project linking Kyaukphyu with Kunming, his regime has lost much of northern Shan State, while anti-regime groups have made inroads in central Myanmar, including in Mandalay and Magwe regions. The Arakan Army has seized more than half of Rakhine State in western Myanmar.
