China has expressed its “firm support” for the Myanmar Junta in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed the message during a meeting with the Junta chief and Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing.
Wang was in Myanmar as part of a three-nation Southeast Asia tour that also included Cambodia and Thailand. Wang was in Myanmar, seeking to strengthen relations in the face of “risks” and present China as a more stable partner than the United States.
During the bilateral meeting in Naw Pyi Daw on Saturday (April 25, 2026), Wang Yi and Min Aung Hlaing pledged to expand trade and security ties, especially border trade.
In a readout of their meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released Wang Yi’s statement. China will “firmly support” Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, Wang told Myanmar’s leader, Min Aung Hlaing, during their meeting, it said.
“As this year marks the first year of the new Myanmar government’s tenure, both sides should seize this opportunity to carry forward and promote their traditional friendship,” the statement quoted Wang Yi as saying.
Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as Myanmar president earlier in April, after a victory of a Junta-backed party in the national elections in January.
His rule over Myanmar will now continue from a civilian post five years after snatching power in a military coup that sparked the ongoing civil war.
Min Aung Hlaing’s swearing-in ceremony was attended by over 20 foreign representatives, including China, which is seen as the biggest supporter of the Junta-backed elections.
Democracy watchdogs have described the tightly controlled election that concluded in January as an effort to rebrand military rule, with voting not taking place in swathes of the country controlled by rebels who are fighting the military and rejected the poll.
Over the past year, there have been signs the military is on the front foot, with a string of moderate victories thanks largely to China-backed truces with ethnic minority rebels along their shared border.