Myanmar’s military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, will travel to China to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, state media reported on Thursday.
The summit, set to open on Sunday in Tianjin, comes just months before Myanmar’s planned December elections—the first in nearly five years—widely viewed as backed by Beijing, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power in a 2021 coup that ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. The takeover triggered a nationwide armed resistance, spiraling into a civil war that still engulfs much of the country.
According to military-run Myawaddy TV, Min Aung Hlaing will meet Xi and other foreign leaders during the SCO summit, hold additional talks with Chinese officials, and visit other parts of China.
Myanmar’s election is scheduled to begin on December 28, covering more than 300 constituencies, including regions currently controlled by armed groups opposed to the junta.
