China pledges support for Myanmar's political transition

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang expressed support for Myanmar's political reconciliation and 2025 election plans in a meeting with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday, according to state media outlets.

Li met army chief Min Aung Hlaing, on his first visit to China since seizing power in a 2021 coup, in Kunming in southwestern China's Yunnan province, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

The junta is planning an election next year in which opposition forces have either been barred from contesting or have refused to take part, dismissing it as a sham.

The election is unlikely to be recognised by western governments and political analysts expect it will perpetuate the military's dominant role in politics, after the generals intervened in 2021 to hit the reset button after a decade of tentative, civilian-led democracy.

According to Myanmar's state media on Thursday, Li pledged China's support for Myanmar's election and voiced appreciation for the military government's efforts to seek dialogue to end armed conflicts via political means.

It quoted Min Aung Hlaing saying that for Myanmar's rebel alliances to participate in dialogue, they need to present clear and specific actions for peace.

According to the report, Li stressed that the border posts should remain under the control of the respective governments, and that China reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Myanmar and opposes actions that harm the country's interests.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup, particularly along its border with China, as the junta wrestles with a coordinated offensive by rebel groups calling themselves the "three brotherhood alliance".

The alliance, comprising the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), has won a succession of victories along the frontier, including taking control of strategic border gates.

Xinhua said Li also pledged China's willingness to strengthen solidarity and overall cooperation with Myanmar and offered to further promote the China-Myanmar economic corridor, Xinhua reported.

He called upon Myanmar to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and organisations in the country, and highlighted the need for joint efforts to combat cross-border crime, including online gambling and telecom fraud.

Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) this week expressed concern that China's invitation to the junta chief could create misunderstandings between the people of Myanmar and China.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Martin Petty and Michael Perry)

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