Myanmar ex-junta chief makes first China trip as civilian president

FE Team | Published: June 16, 2026 00:06:39

BEIJING, June 15 (AFP): Myanmar's coup-commander turned President Min Aung Hlaing touched down in China on Monday for talks with Xi Jinping, his first visit since taking over as civilian leader after Beijing-backed elections rejected by democracy monitors.
Min Aung Hlaing is hoping to expand trade and security ties with China, a rare enduring partner for Myanmar after his 2021 coup ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and diplomatically isolated the country on the world stage.
Relations have frayed in recent years over mushrooming internet scam centres along the countries' shared border areas which both enlist and target Chinese citizens in lucrative cryptocurrency fraud, analysts say.
China has emerged as a key power-broker in the civil war sparked by the coup-variously backing the military, rebels and truces between them according to its security and economic interests, analysts say.