China pledges support for Myanmar's political transition

7/11/2024 14:32

        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.
        
        According to China's official Xinhua news agency, 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.
        
        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.