Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with President of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, June 16, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

China places ties with Myanmar as a priority in neighborhood diplomacy, and supports the new Myanmar government in coordinating development and security imperatives to find a correct path of development that suits its national conditions and wins popular support, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday during a meeting with President of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing in Beijing, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

At the invitation of China's leader, Min Aung Hlaing is paying a state visit to China from June 15 to 19, his first trip to China since he assumed office as Myanmar's president in April. 

The visit falls just one week after June 8, the 76th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar. The Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier noted that this visit will serve as a vital opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation.

Prior to the talks, the Chinese leader held a welcome ceremony for Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar media outlet MITV described the ceremony as "warmly." 

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in areas including transportation and people's livelihoods, according to Xinhua. MITV said the two sides signed and exchanged 18 agreements and memoranda of understanding, including an MoU on cooperation to jointly advancing the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

Analysts said the top-level China-Myanmar engagement charts a clear course for bilateral ties amid a volatile global landscape. Centered on pragmatic cooperation that benefits both peoples, the summit bolsters strategic trust and lays a solid foundation for building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future, contributing to regional stability and development.

'Pauk-phaw' friendship

As Myanmar's neighbor with the longest shared border, China is a trustworthy friend and partner, Xi said during the meeting, calling on both sides to strengthen solidarity and collaboration in a changing and turbulent international landscape, per Xinhua. 

The Chinese leader said that China adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, pursues a friendly policy toward all the people of Myanmar, and firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

China supports all parties in Myanmar in advancing peace and reconciliation through talks to achieve lasting stability in northern Myanmar, which serves the fundamental and long-term interests of Myanmar and its people, he said.

Hailing the time-honored "pauk-phaw" friendship between the two countries, Min Aung Hlaing thanked China for its long-standing and selfless support for Myanmar's development, stability, peace and reconciliation, adding that Myanmar will firmly adhere to the one-China principle. 

Myanmar fully supports the four major global initiatives put forward by President Xi and stands ready to deepen multilateral communication and coordination with China, he said. 

Following the smooth transition under Myanmar's new government, the visit highlights Myanmar's commitment to advancing China-Myanmar ties and underscores the bilateral relationship's weight in China's neighborhood diplomacy, sending a clear signal to the world of both sides' resolve to deepen strategic trust and cooperation, Song Qingrun, a professor from the School of Asian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Amid an international landscape fraught with intertwined turmoil and changes, the two leaders, through heads-of-state diplomacy, have set the course for bilateral ties ahead, laying a solid foundation for deeper all-round strategic cooperation and more fruitful progress in building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future, Song said. 

"Development in Myanmar is directly tied to China's strategic security and development interests in the southwest," said Song, "A peaceful, stable and prosperous Myanmar is in the fundamental interests of Myanmar and its people, as well as the broader region."

Prior to his Beijing trip, Myanmar's state leader visited India. Some Western media outlets have portrayed his diplomatic engagements as an effort to break free from international isolation. 

"China has consistently abided by the principle of non-interference in internal affairs when handling Myanmar-related affairs. What Beijing stands for is the peace, stability and overall development of Myanmar," Song said, adding that as a sovereign state, Myanmar is fully entitled to maintain normal diplomatic relations with other countries." 

"Moreover, China and Myanmar are bonded by the time-honored 'pauk-phaw' friendship and shared interests. China has stood as a reliable partner for Myanmar throughout the 76 years of bilateral diplomatic ties," he said. "Pragmatic issues bearing on the vital interests of both peoples constitute the noteworthy essence of this visit." 

Stability and development

Noting that this year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Xi told Min Aung Hlaing that China stands ready to share its development experience with Myanmar and jointly build a China-Myanmar community with a shared future, which is underpinned by political amity and mutual trust, win-win development, security coordination and people-to-people exchanges, Xinhua reported. 

The Chinese leader called the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor a flagship project of the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries, saying that both sides should steadily advance the safe construction of key projects to help Myanmar develop its economy and improve people's livelihoods. 

He said China is willing to increase support for Myanmar's post-earthquake reconstruction, and the two sides should continue to combat criminal activities including online gambling, telecom fraud and drug trafficking.

Noting that China's implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan brings important opportunities for its Asian neighbors including Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing said that Myanmar hopes to deepen all-round cooperation with China, jointly build the Myanmar-China Economic Corridor and elevate bilateral trade and investment cooperation, according to Xinhua. 

He noted that Myanmar attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese enterprises and personnel in Myanmar and will make every effort to ensure their security. Myanmar is willing to work closely with China to resolutely crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud and safeguard border security and stability, he added.

Per the Myanmar News Agency, ahead of the leaders' meeting, the Myanmar president on Monday visited Beijing Aerospace City, which serves as a base for astronaut training and as a mission control center. Welcomed by representatives from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), he received introductions on China's spacecraft launches, space station construction, successful lunar landing missions, and cargo and material transport operations.

According to Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, China and Myanmar feature prominent complementarities in practical cooperation.

China's capital, technology and vast market align perfectly with Myanmar's geographical advantages and abundant natural resources, Gu said, adding that the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Southwest China's Yunnan Province to Myanmar, unlocking new routes for China's energy shipments and cross-border trade. 

Such cooperation not only boosts Myanmar's economic growth and improves people's livelihoods, but also broadens the scope of China's external economic cooperation, delivering genuine mutual benefits, Gu said. 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China has long been Myanmar's principal trading partner. In 2025, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $19.4 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 19.1 percent. China's exports to Myanmar totaled $11.36 billion, up 23.3 percent, and imports were $8.04 billion, up 13.6 percent.

"The president's state visit to China will give a strong boost to Myanmar's further development… Closer ties and deeper multi-sectoral cooperation with China serve the shared interests of the two peoples and deliver promising opportunities for the two sides," read an editorial published by Myanmar's Myawady.net on Tuesday.