Officials from both countries have confirmed that the head of the Myanmar Military Council, General Min Aung Hlaing, will go to China this week. The 5 countries of the Mekong River Basin, namely Cambodia, Laos Myanmar Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing today that the leaders of Thailand and Vietnam along with the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been invited to attend the summit.
China will host the Eighth Greater Mekong Subregion Summit and other regional meetings in Yunnan Province. The military council also announced that the head of the military council will visit Kunming.
The statement of the Military Council also stated that General Min Aung Hlaing will meet and discuss with Chinese government officials during his official visit to China for the first time since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar.
China-Myanmar border military tensions General Min Aung Hlaing’s plan to visit China comes at a time when reports are emerging that the Chinese government is putting pressure on ethnic armed organizations to end armed conflicts.
While ethnic armed groups are occupying some military council camps and some border towns, the Chinese side has closed the China-Myanmar border gates and restricted Chinese goods sent to Myanmar.
Analysts say that the trip by inviting General Min Aung Hlaing shows that China officially supports the rule of the military council. China’s strong backing is seen as an international showcase.
Source: Voanews Burmese
