Integrating Myanmar: Senior General’s working visit to China stacks multiple milestones
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By Phyo Lin Aung
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), embarked on a high-profile working visit to China on August 30, 2025. The visit is focused on a dual mission: attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 and participating in the military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global triumph in the World Anti-Fascist War.
Although symbolic in nature, the trip was designed with pragmatic goals in mind. It represented Myanmar’s attempt to strengthen bilateral ties, secure economic opportunities, and bolster legitimacy ahead of the country’s planned multiparty democratic general election on December 28, 2025. Over the course of the visit, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with several prominent world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, achieving both diplomatic breakthroughs and tangible agreements.
Furthermore, during the 80th anniversary of China’s Victory Day, the Senior General met with global leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, exchanging warm greetings as if they were long-time friends. The encounter reflected his bid to bolster ties with powerful allies on the world stage.
Strategic partnership with China
On August 30, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Their discussions centered on strengthening the China-Myanmar relationship across multiple fronts:
Peace and political processes in Myanmar: Xi expressed support for Myanmar’s internal political roadmap and its plan to hold elections in December.
Economic cooperation: The talks highlighted the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). Both leaders reaffirmed commitments to infrastructure, trade expansion, and resource utilization.
Disaster aid: China pledged assistance following the devastating Mandalay earthquake.
Diplomatic support: Xi reiterated China’s firm stance against external interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs and pledged international backing for Myanmar’s election efforts.
One of the most significant outcomes of the meeting was President Xi’s reaffirmation that China opposes external interference in Myanmar’s internal political affairs and strongly supports Myanmar’s plan to conduct elections. These assurances represent a noteworthy diplomatic achievement for Myanmar.
Expanding ties with India
On August 31, the Senior General held a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin. Following the discussions, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the strategic importance of Myanmar in India’s Act East and Neighborhood First policies.
“Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and I held talks in Tianjin. Myanmar is a vital pillar of India’s Act East and Neighborhood First Policies. We both agreed that there is immense scope to boost ties in areas like trade, connectivity, energy, rare earth mining and security,” Modi wrote on social media.
Rare earth minerals, a resource of increasing global strategic value, were a central theme in the bilateral dialogue. With China already trading Myanmar’s rare earth and both India and the United States openly raising concerns about resource exploitation, Myanmar now finds itself in a position to leverage these minerals to strengthen its political alliances with major world powers.
Boosting cooperation with neighbours
On September 1, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith. The talks focused on enhancing peace and stability along the Myanmar-Laos border, strengthening government-to-government cooperation, and promoting trade and tourism.
The leaders also discussed closer military cooperation, Laos’s support for Myanmar’s upcoming general election, and plans for Lao election observation missions to Myanmar.
All of these election assurances represent valuable endorsements for Myanmar’s Union Election Commission (UEC), which is facing significant challenges in organizing the nationwide vote. Securing commitments from neighboring powers to support and observe the election provides a much-needed boost to the credibility of the process.
Advancing economic partnerships
Alongside political engagements, the Senior General presided over a Myanmar-China economic cooperation promotion meeting attended by major Chinese business leaders. The event resulted in the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including:
• MRTV (Ministry of Information, Myanmar) and Xinhua News Agency (China) – information exchange and media cooperation.
• Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (CASME) – business development cooperation.
• Myanmar-India-China International Cooperation & Economic Development Association (MICA) and CASME – trilateral economic collaboration.
• Shwe Thanlwin Holding Co. Ltd and China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd (CHEC) – infrastructure partnership.
• Royal Green Ocean Co. Ltd and Jiangxi Longzheng Technology Development Co. Ltd – technology development cooperation.
• Transland Public Co. Ltd (TPC) and Yunnan Baoshan Hengyi Industrial Group (HYIG) – industrial cooperation.
• Platypus Public Co. Ltd and China Enerever Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd – energy cooperation.
In his address, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing underscored the importance of opening the Northern Shan Union Highway, which would connect Yunnan-Kunming with the Kyaukphyu-Mandalay-Muse route. He emphasized that such connectivity would reduce China’s reliance on the Strait of Malacca and provide new opportunities for trade and development.
The Senior General also highlighted the strategic significance of the Mandalay-Muse High-Speed Railway, which will connect to China’s Beijing-Kunming-Ruili line. Once operational, this corridor is expected to transform regional trade flows.
Myanmar’s role in the SCO
During the SCO Summit, the Senior General reiterated Myanmar’s intention to strengthen cooperation with member states in the fields of regional security and technological development.
“In addition, we are also focusing on digital cooperation in modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data governance. As member countries enjoy the fruits of technological development, we see the potential to jointly prevent future attacks using modern technologies,” said the Senior General.
Myanmar currently holds dialogue partner status within the SCO, and it is moving closer to securing full membership. With the strong backing of China and India, Myanmar’s accession as a full member could be realized in the near future.
Outlook
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s working visit to China has yielded a series of significant political, diplomatic, and economic outcomes. From reinforcing ties with Beijing, New Delhi, and Vientiane, to securing election support and signing key cooperation agreements, the visit underscores Myanmar’s dedication to integrating into the regional order.
With growing support for its electoral process and deeper engagement with the SCO, Myanmar is positioning itself to navigate both immediate challenges and long-term opportunities in the evolving geopolitical landscape of Asia. –