China, Myanmar pursue deeper ties as leaders hold talks in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping, third left, attends a meeting with Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing, fourth right, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on June 16, 2026.

| Photo Credit: AP

“Chinese President Xi Jinping has ​begun a meeting in Beijing with his Myanmar ‌counterpart Min Aung Hlaing,” Chinese official media ​agency Xinhua said on Tuesday (June 16, 2026), as ⁠the neighbouring countries seek to deepen relations.

Min Aung Hlaing is in China for a five-day visit ‌until Friday (June 19, 2026), his first trip to the world’s second-largest economy since the former ‌junta chief formalised his grip on ‌power ⁠following controversial elections in the war-torn country ⁠in December and January.

Beijing held a State welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday (June 17, 2026) morning ​before the leaders ‌began their talks. “The two men then witnessed the signing of cooperation documents,” Xinhua said without elaborating.

China remains one of the most ‌important foreign partners of Myanmar’s military, which ​seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February ⁠2021, triggering an armed uprising.

China’s Foreign Ministry has said it supports Myanmar in unifying domestic political ‌forces and restoring stability. Beijing has also invested in projects in Myanmar under its Belt and Road Initiative, including an oil and gas pipeline crossing the country and planned infrastructure including a deep-sea port.

The meeting is Min ‌Aung Hlaing’s second with Mr. Xi in less than ​a year, after he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last August. While ⁠Min Aung Hlaing had picked India for his ⁠first foreign trip after becoming president, some analysts said the visits to China ‌suggested a closer relationship with Beijing and a boost to his international acceptance.

Published - June 16, 2026 11:45 am IST