Myanmar Junta Chief’s Visit to China

缅媒：关于缅甸军政府领导人访华，你必须知道的六件事

作者：伊洛瓦底江        来源：伊洛瓦底江

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ended his first state visit to China since the 2021 coup on Saturday.

缅甸军政府主席敏昂莱周六结束了自2021年政变以来对中国的首次国事访问。

First official recognition since 2021 coup

▲自2021年政变以来首次获得官方承认

Unlike his previous trip in November last year, Min Aung Hlaing’s eight-day visit to China last week came at the official invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping—a first since his military coup in 2021. The junta described the Aug.30-Sept. 6 trip as a working visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and World War II victory day parade in Beijing.

军政府描述了8月30日至9月。6日作为工作访问前往北京出席上海合作组织峰会和第二次世界大战胜利日阅兵。

China also addressed Min Aung Hlaing as “acting president”, recognizing his self-conferred new title. During last year’s trip, he was referred to merely as “Myanmar leader.”

中国还称敏昂莱为“代理总统”，承认他自封的新头衔。在去年的访问中，他仅仅被称为“缅甸领导人”。

Analysts said China’s treatment of Min Aung Hlaing signals a transition from partial to full backing— economically, militarily and diplomatically—of his embattled regime, as it seeks to quell a nationwide rebellion and protect Chinese investments in Myanmar. Beijing has Belt and Road Initiative projects worth billions of dollars in the country.

分析人士说，中国对待敏昂莱的方式标志着中国在经济、军事和外交上从部分支持向全面支持过渡。目前，他正试图平息缅甸全国范围内的叛乱，保护中国在缅甸的投资。北京在中国有价值数十亿美元的“一带一路”倡议项目。

Gratitude for China’s pressure on EAOs

▲感谢中国对eao施压

Min Aung Hlaing arrives at Tianjin for the SCO summit on August 30. / MOI

敏昂莱于8月30日抵达天津参加上海合作组织峰会。

The junta suffered unprecedented defeats during the EAO-led Operation 1027 in northern Shan State in 2023 and 2024, losing a huge swathe of territory from the Chinese border to near Mandalay in central Myanmar, including Lashio, the northern Shan capital, and the Northeastern Regional Command.

军政府在2023年和2024年在掸邦北部的“1027行动”中遭受了前所未有的失败，失去了从中国边境到缅甸中部曼德勒附近的大片领土，包括掸邦北部首府腊戍和东北地区司令部。

Soon after, China began leveraging its influence over the EAOs to push for ceasefires—throwing a lifeline to Min Aung Hlaing’s regime.

不久之后，中国开始利用其对EAO（民地武组织）的影响力来推动停火——为敏昂莱政权提供了一条生命线。

Min Aung Hlaing’s personal thank-you revealed the extent of Beijing’s involvement in Myanmar’s internal affairs, including border stability, dialogue and peace processes. In contrast, China portrays itself as a neutral mediator in these issues.

敏昂莱（Min Aung Hlaing）的个人感谢透露了北京参与缅甸内政的程度，包括边境稳定、对话和和平进程。相比之下，中国在这些问题上将自己描绘成一个中立的调解人。

A meeting that could make China uneasy

▲这次会议可能会让中国感到不安

Min Aung Hlaing’s Aug. 31 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of

敏昂莱将于8月31日与印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪举行会晤

the SCO summit delivered a potential blow to hosts China.

上海合作组织峰会给东道主中国带来了潜在的打击。

They discussed border stability, trade promotion, military cooperation, and Delhi’s support for the junta’s planned election, according to press releases issued by both sides.

根据双方发布的新闻稿，他们讨论了边境稳定、贸易促进、军事合作以及德里对军政府计划中的选举的支持。

But on Facebook, Modi wrote that he and the junta boss also saw “immense scope” to boost ties in rare earth mining.

但在Facebook上，莫迪写道，他和军政府领导人也看到了加强稀土开采关系的“巨大空间”。

Modi’s mention of the rare-earth trade is likely to ring alarm bells in China, the world’s largest exporter of the critical mineral, sourced largely from mines in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State.

莫迪提到稀土贸易可能会给中国敲响警钟，中国是世界上最大的稀土出口国，稀土主要来自缅甸北部克钦邦的矿山。

However, it’s unclear how rare earth ties between the junta and India could work, as the mining hubs are still controlled by the anti-regime Kachin Independence Army.

然而，目前尚不清楚军政府和印度之间的稀土关系将如何发挥作用，因为采矿中心仍由反政府的克钦独立军控制。

What is more certain is that Beijing will not be happy with the content of the discussion.

更确定的是，北京方面不会对讨论的内容感到满意。

Min Aung Hlaing meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin on August 31. / CINCDS

8月31日，敏昂莱在天津会见印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪。/ CINCDS

Hero-Worshipping Kim Jong Un

▲英雄崇拜金正恩

The junta boss and Kim Jong Un met briefly in the VIP waiting room for a handshake and small talk. But the photos reveal it was a momentous occasion for Min Aung Hlaing. He refused to let go of Kim’s hand, his face lighting up like a child meeting his hero for the first time. What they discussed remains unknown.

这位军政府领导人和金正恩在贵宾候机室短暂会面，握手并寒暄。但照片显示，这对敏昂莱来说是一个重要的时刻。他拒绝放开金的手，他的脸像一个孩子第一次见到他的英雄一样亮了起来。他们讨论了什么仍不得而知。

Myanmar’s military has long-standing ties with North Korea. In 2008, under the previous military regime, a high-level Myanmar military delegation led by then-junta No. 3 Thura Shwe Mann made a secret seven-day visit to Pyongyang via Beijing, signing agreements that strengthened military cooperation.

缅甸军方与朝鲜有着长期的联系。2008年，在前军政府统治时期，由当时的缅甸军政府第三号人物图拉瑞曼（Thura Shwe Mann）率领的缅甸高级军事代表团通过北京对平壤进行了为期7天的秘密访问，签署了加强军事合作的协议。

The visit aroused concerns, especially in the West, about the Myanmar military’s nuclear ambitions.

这次访问引起了对缅甸军方核野心的担忧，尤其是在西方。

Myanmar’s elected government expelled a North Korean diplomat in 2017 for suspected links with a UN-sanctioned company, but relations seem to have normalized since the 2021 coup.

2017年，缅甸民选政府驱逐了一名朝鲜外交官，理由是他涉嫌与一家联合国制裁的公司有联系，但自2021年政变以来，两国关系似乎已经正常化。

With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing on September 3.

9月3日在北京会见了朝鲜国务委员会委员长金正恩。

The most successful trip so far!

▲到目前为止最成功的一次旅行！

Speaking to reporters in Chengdu on Saturday, he said he had visited the giant neighbor 12 times, before and after the coup, and added: “I would like to say that this trip has been the most successful one so far.”

周六，他在成都对记者说，在政变前后，他曾12次访问这个庞大的邻国，并补充说：“我想说，这次访问是迄今为止最成功的一次。”

The boast was not empty: without Xi Jinping’s endorsement, he would have relied solely on Moscow for legitimacy. The West ostracized him for his coup and deadly crackdown on protesters while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has banned him from summits over his failure to honor the bloc’s peace plan.

西方因为他的政变和对抗议者的致命镇压而排斥他，而东南亚国家联盟（ASEAN）因他未能遵守该集团的和平计划而禁止他参加峰会。

Before the 2021 coup, Min Aung Hlaing had only ever visited China as military chief or, last year, on a non-state trip. This time, to his delight, he was granted an official invitation and addressed as acting president—securing his long-craved legitimacy from a world power.

在2021年政变之前，敏昂莱只以军方首脑的身份访问过中国，去年他还进行了一次非国事访问。这一次，令他高兴的是，他获得了官方邀请，并以代理总统的身份发表讲话——从一个世界大国那里获得了他渴望已久的合法性。

He promptly told Chinese media that relations between the nations were at an all-time high, calling Myanmar a trustworthy and good neighbour. It would have been more accurate, however, to say, “this trip has been the most successful one so far for me.”

他立即对中国媒体表示，两国关系处于历史最高水平，称缅甸是值得信赖的好邻居。然而，更准确的说法是，“这次旅行是我迄今为止最成功的一次。”

Seven MoUs

▲七个备忘录

Min Aung Hlaing talks to Chinese media in Chengdu on Saturday. / CINCDS

敏昂莱周六在成都接受中国媒体采访。/ CINCDS

The junta signed seven memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with China during the visit. Two forged cooperation between Myanmar entities and Chinese business associations, but neither side provided details on the specific projects.

访问期间，军政府与中国签署了七份谅解备忘录。缅甸实体和中国商业协会之间有两项合作，但双方都没有提供具体项目的细节。

The most strategically significant deals, however, involved companies tied to the Myanmar military and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Among the signatories were Shwe Than Lwin Holding Company, backed by the military, and China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd. (CHEC). The latter is central to Myanmar’s infrastructure development in the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC).

然而，最具战略意义的交易涉及与缅甸军方和中国“一带一路”倡议（BRI）有关的公司。签署协议的公司包括军方支持的瑞丹伦控股公司（Shwe Than Lwin Holding Company）和中国港湾工程有限公司（CHEC）。后者是缅甸在中缅经济走廊（CMEC）基础设施建设中的核心。

Another MoU was signed between Yunnan Baoshan Hengyi Industrial Group (HYIG) and Myanmar’s Transland Public Co. Ltd., formalizing cooperation on the Myanmar section of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) international corridor.

云南宝山恒益实业集团（HYIG）与缅甸Transland公共有限公司签署了另一份谅解备忘录，正式确定了孟中印缅（BCIM）国际走廊缅甸段的合作。

The strategic positioning of these projects, integrated into larger regional corridors, underscores China’s aim to secure influence over critical trade routes and connectivity with India and Southeast Asia.

这些项目的战略定位，整合到更大的区域走廊中，强调了中国的目标是确保对关键贸易路线的影响力，以及与印度和东南亚的联系。

作者：伊洛瓦底江        来源：伊洛瓦底江