Myanmar President U Thein Sein will become the first leader of his country in 47 years to visit the White House, in one of the most symbolic US gestures yet to support his reforms.

The former general will meet with President Barack Obama during the visit that started Monday and later seek to woo US businesses that see a lucrative market in the Southeast Asian nation.

Some say that Obama's invitation was premature and takes pressure off Myanmar to address still-alarming abuses such as recent anti-Muslim violence to which security forces allegedly turned a blind eye.

U Thein Sein, who took office as a nominal civilian in 2011, has freed hundreds of political prisoners, easing censorship and letting long-detained opposition icon Aung San Suu Kyi enter parliament.

He said he would call for a complete end to the economic sanctions. Relations have greatly improved. For our political reforms, we also need more economic development, he said.

The most critical test of reform will come in 2015, when Myanmar is scheduled to hold elections - testing whether the military would be willing to cede power, potentially to the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy.

U Thein Sein, however, said the military had preserved Myanmar's independence. "You cannot deny their place in politics."

The army seized control of the country in 1962. Military ruler Ne Win in 1966 was the last leader to visit the White House, where he met president Lyndon Johnson.

Obama has made Myanmar, the nation with 60 million people, a key priority and visited the country in November.

Many experts believe that a key factor for Myanmar's reforms was to ease its reliance on neighboring China, which developed an overwhelming influence on the country amid US and European sanctions.

Ernest Bower, senior adviser for Southeast Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters that Myanmar is the keystone state that links China, Southeast Asia and India.

"If the US doesn't get relations right, it wouldn't be able to play the chess game required to deal with China," he warned.

In recent weeks, the US ended sweeping restrictions on visas and started discussions on economic measures such as offering duty-free access for certain products.

Global Times - Agencies