CNI News
13 September 2025
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission) met with leaders from China, Russia, North Korea, India, and other countries during gatherings in China, and political analysts are debating whether this could be an opportunity for Myanmar.
During his trip to China from August 31 to September 3, the Chairman held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Indian Prime Minister Modi, Russian President Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
He also met Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, Indonesian President Prabowo, the ASEAN Secretary-General, Kazakh President, and other world leaders.
Although these meetings could bring certain opportunities, they are not expected to result in major breakthroughs yet, said U Khun Sai, who is involved in peace-related activities, speaking to CNI News.
Meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
“Although Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was invited, it doesn’t mean he was given extra special attention. Still, Myanmar is undeniably important for China as its gateway to the Indian Ocean, so in one way or another, China will always value it. Min Aung Hlaing, in turn, seems to be working hard to make the most out of this for his own benefit. But ultimately, what he needs to do is ensure that the election is held. If he can make that happen, he could gain more support.Another strong point for him is that he continues to stand on the Three Main National Causes established since Senior General Than Shwe’s time, which he has officially declared. For neighboring countries, this represents a stable stance they can rely on. On the other hand, the opposition has not declared such a position, and that is a weakness. So, they will need to work on turning weaknesses into strengths.”, he explained.
From August 31 to September 1, 2025, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China as one of Myanmar’s leaders.
On September 3, he joined the military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japan and the global war against fascism, where he also met with other world leaders.
U Thein Tun Oo, Executive Director of the Thayninga Institute of Strategic Studies Group, told CNI News that this situation could allow Myanmar to become more active and significant in the new international order.
Meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
“In Beijing, the focus was on uniting regional and neighboring countries. The problem is that after Donald Trump came to power in the United States, new tariffs and restrictions were imposed on other countries. That led many to feel that the U.S. was deliberately pressuring them. Some of these countries refused to accept such pressure and started seeking collective answers to how they could cooperate more closely on the world stage.
With such cooperation growing stronger, Myanmar will also benefit in the future by improving its relations with other countries. Another key point is Myanmar’s international image. In the past, ‘international stage’ usually referred only to Western Europe and North America. But now a new global stage is emerging. On that new stage, Myanmar could be more active and play a more significant role.”, he said.
It is learned that countries including China, India, and Laos expressed their support for the upcoming Myanmar elections during this trip. Myanmar also discussed joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a member state and signed agreements on China-Myanmar-India economic cooperation.
Talks included: Restoration of the Ledo Road, Restarting the Myitsone hydropower project, Purchasing electricity from Laos, Reviving China-Myanmar border trade India-Myanmar mineral extraction cooperation, Strengthening security cooperation.
