China promises to assist Myanmar in its democratic transition

China’s Premier Li Qiang met with Myanmar’s junta leader on Wednesday and said Beijing supports Myanmar’s attempts at political reconciliation and transition, according to official media.

In Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China, which borders Myanmar, Li met with Min Aung Hlaing, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

This is the top general of the troubled Southeast Asian country’s first trip to China, his powerful neighbor, since he took over in a coup in 2021.

Since then, the army has been fighting an armed resistance movement loosely affiliated with existing ethnic minority militias for control of territories, leaving Myanmar in a state of anarchy, notably along its border with China.

According to Xinhua, Li stated that China was prepared to advance the China-Myanmar economic corridor and was prepared to increase solidarity and cooperation with Myanmar in the multilateral sphere.

He urged Myanmar to ensure the security of Chinese individuals and groups residing there and emphasized the necessity of the two countries working together to combat transnational criminal activity, such as telecom fraud and online gambling.