Myanmar Junta Chief to Make Second Visit to China Since 2021 Coup

Myanmar’s military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is set to make a working visit to China later this week — his second since the February 2021 coup — according to state media.

The trip will see Min Aung Hlaing attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other regional leaders. Following the summit, he will travel to Beijing to take part in the Victory Day Parade on September 3, commemorating the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II.

In addition to attending high-level meetings, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported that the junta chief will also observe China’s education, industrial, and economic sectors, as well as discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and cultural ties.

This marks Min Aung Hlaing’s second trip to China since seizing power. His first came in November 2023, when he attended regional summits in Kunming. Notably, both visits have been tied to multilateral events rather than full state-level invitations, a reflection of China’s cautious approach.

Observers suggest that the visit will also provide an opportunity for Min Aung Hlaing to update Chinese leaders on the junta’s controversial plan to hold staged elections beginning December 28, which the military claims will return power to a “civilian government.” Critics, however, widely dismiss the move as an attempt to cement military dominance under a new façade.

China has consistently expressed support for the election process, viewing it as a path to restoring domestic peace, reconciliation, and stability, while also protecting its own strategic interests in Myanmar. In recent months, Beijing has pressured several ethnic armed groups to agree to ceasefires and even to return territories captured during offensives in 2023–2024.

While Beijing was caught off guard by the 2021 coup and remains wary of the junta’s policies, it appears committed to backing the election as the only viable path toward stability — and toward safeguarding its key infrastructure projects linking Yunnan province to Myanmar’s coast.

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