Myanmar's former junta chief kicks off visit to China as civilian president

Min Aung Hlaing will hold talks with Chinese President Xi

Myanmar's military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing participates in a parade commemorating the 81st Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, Mar 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Beijing on Monday for a five-day visit at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China's state media reported, marking his first trip to the world's second-largest economy since being elected president.

Min Aung Hlaing, 69, the former junta chief who was the architect of a 2021 coup that led to civil war in Myanmar and a wave of international sanctions, was elected president in early April by a parliament packed with military loyalists.

His journey from top general to civilian president formalised his hold on power after a coup that ended a decade of tentative democracy and sparked an exodus of foreign investors from what was once one of Asia's most promising frontier markets.

During his visit this week, Min Aung Hlaing will hold talks with Xi. He will also meet with China's No. 2 and No. 3, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the country's top legislator.

"China and Myanmar have stood together through thick and thin, looked out for each other and forged solidarity and cooperation, promoting China-Myanmar relations to achieve considerable progress," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said last week.

China was not the first country that Min Aung Hlaing has visited since becoming president.

At the end of May, the former military commander-in-chief embarked on a five-day visit to India, with which Myanmar shares a long and porous border, as part of a broader effort to reengage with the rest of the world after years of isolation caused by international sanctions.