Head of Myanmar's military government visits close ally China for the first time since taking power

BANGKOK — The head of Myanmar's military government embarked Tuesday on an official visit to China, the embattled Southeast Asian nation’s most important international ally, for several regional meetings.

It is the first time Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has traveled to the neighboring country since his army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar’s army suffered unprecedented battlefield defeats over the past year, especially in areas near the Chinese border. Both Myanmar’s ruling generals and China’s government have shown concern as pro-democracy guerrillas and armed ethnic minority groups, sometimes working hand in hand, have taken the initiative in their fight against military rule.

But Beijing is now concerned about instability that threatens its strategic and business interests in Myanmar. China’s government has maintained good working relations with Myanmar’s ruling military, which is shunned and sanctioned by many Western nations for the army takeover and for major human rights violations.

State-run MRTV television said that Min Aung Hlaing departed on a flight from the capital, Naypyitaw, Tuesday morning to begin his visit.

He will visit the Chinese city of Kunming on Wednesday and Thursday to attend three summits: The Greater Mekong Subregion, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Cooperation. Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the border with Myanmar.

The report said he will also have “meetings with Chinese government officials to discuss ways to enhance goodwill, economic and various sectors between the two governments and the people.”

China, along with Russia, is a major arms supplier to Myanmar’s military in its war against resistance forces. Beijing is also Myanmar’s biggest trading partner and has invested billions of dollars in its mines, oil and gas pipelines, and other infrastructure.

Russia is the only other foreign destination to which Min Aung Hlaing is known to have traveled since taking power, aside from his attendance at an April 2021 summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. His government’s unwillingness to cooperate in efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of his country's conflict led to him and other top Myanmar government officials being disinvited from ASEAN summits since then.

Myanmar’s pro-democracy opposition has expressed concern about China welcoming a visit by Min Aung Hlaing.

Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, said in a recorded video posted on Facebook before the official announcement of the trip that he was deeply concerned about China’s invitation to Min Aung Hlaing and urged the Chinese government to review its action.

“Myanmar’s people want stability, peace and economic growth. It is Min Aung Hlaing and his group who are destroying these things,” Kyaw Zaw said. “I am concerned that it will unintentionally incite a misunderstanding of the Chinese government among Myanmar’s public."

The shadow National Unity Government was established by elected lawmakers barred from taking their seats in 2021 and is closely linked to Suu Kyi’s former ruling National League for Democracy party, which had friendly relations with Beijing. Although China is scorned by many for backing the army, the shadow government tries to avoid antagonizing Beijing too much, recognizing the influence it has in the region.

Myanmar’s army has been on the defensive since late last year when ethnic armed organizations dealt it major defeats in the country’s northeast.

The offensive by the “Three Brotherhood Alliance," comprising the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, was able to quickly capture towns and overrun military bases and command centers and strategic cities along the Chinese border in northeastern Shan state. It was widely seen at the time as having Beijing’s tacit support to help stamp out rampant organized crime activities in the area controlled by ethnic Chinese.

Beijing helped broker a cease-fire in January, but that fell apart in June when the ethnic rebel forces launched new attacks.

China was displeased with the ongoing warfare, shutting down border crossings, cutting electricity to Myanmar towns and taking other measures to discourage the fighting.