{"id":6038,"date":"2025-05-10T22:54:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T16:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=6038"},"modified":"2025-05-10T22:54:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T16:24:07","slug":"what-might-come-from-min-aung-hlaings-meeting-with-xi-jinping-in-moscow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/05\/what-might-come-from-min-aung-hlaings-meeting-with-xi-jinping-in-moscow\/","title":{"rendered":"What Might Come from Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s Meeting with Xi Jinping in Moscow?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6039\" src=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1.png 860w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1-560x303.png 560w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1-260x141.png 260w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1-160x87.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 May 9 Overview&#8221;<\/strong>,<\/p>\n<p>published by <em>MoeMaKa on May 10, 2025<\/em>*:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>What Might Come from Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s Meeting with Xi Jinping in Moscow?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On <strong>May 9<\/strong>, Myanmar\u2019s junta leader <strong>Min Aung Hlaing<\/strong> met with <strong>Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/strong> during Russia\u2019s <strong>80th Victory Day commemorations<\/strong> in <strong>Moscow<\/strong>, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in WWII.<\/p>\n<p>The invitation came from <strong>Russian President Vladimir Putin<\/strong>, and Min Aung Hlaing\u2014isolated diplomatically since the 2021 coup\u2014did not miss the opportunity to attend an international event with multiple world leaders present.<\/p>\n<p>According to China\u2019s <strong>Xinhua News Agency<\/strong>, Xi and Min Aung Hlaing met on the sidelines of the Moscow event.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>A Win in Foreign Relations for the Junta<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While leader-to-leader meetings at such summits are often informal, this encounter likely felt like a <strong>diplomatic success<\/strong> for the junta. President Putin, though shunned globally for Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, remains a <strong>powerful head of a resource-rich, militarily strong country<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For Min Aung Hlaing, the opportunity to <strong>learn from Russia&#8217;s defense capabilities<\/strong>, <strong>secure military equipment<\/strong>, and <strong>strengthen diplomatic ties<\/strong> is of high value\u2014particularly as Myanmar\u2019s regime becomes increasingly reliant on a <strong>Russia\u2013China axis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This Moscow trip marked Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s <strong>second visit to Russia<\/strong> in just two months. He also visited <strong>Bangkok twice<\/strong> during this period, and the <strong>earthquake in Sagaing, Mandalay, and Naypyitaw<\/strong> gave him another diplomatic opening to interact with foreign governments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>China\u2019s Strategic Perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>For China, Myanmar is not just a trade partner\u2014it is a <strong>geostrategic neighbor<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>A crucial corridor for <strong>oil and gas pipelines<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A buffer zone between China and rival powers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A region where Beijing seeks to <strong>prevent rival influence<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These factors likely motivated China to arrange this meeting with Min Aung Hlaing.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>What Did Xi Jinping Say?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>According to <strong>Xinhua<\/strong>, President Xi expressed support for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Myanmar\u2019s <strong>\u201cchosen path of development\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Its <strong>sovereignty, territorial integrity<\/strong>, and <strong>domestic political process<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Deepened <strong>strategic cooperation<\/strong> between China and Myanmar<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Continued support for <strong>China-Myanmar Economic Corridor projects<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>A Closer Look at Xi&#8217;s Message<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Xi\u2019s mention of \u201c<strong>territorial integrity<\/strong>\u201d stands out. It appears to hint at <strong>junta losses in ethnic areas<\/strong>, such as <strong>Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Kayah, and northern Shan<\/strong>, where the military has lost control of many towns and bases.<\/p>\n<p>This language suggests that <strong>China may support helping the junta restore control<\/strong> over lost territory\u2014as part of ensuring its own strategic projects remain secure.<\/p>\n<p>The pledge to \u201cstrengthen construction of economic corridor projects\u201d likely refers to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Border trade routes from <strong>Lashio to Mandalay<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The <strong>Kyaukphyu deep-sea port<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>The <strong>China-Myanmar railway<\/strong> project<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This indicates China could support <strong>military operations<\/strong> in these areas\u2014either directly or through <strong>diplomatic cover<\/strong>\u2014to secure its economic and geopolitical interests.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>China\u2019s Broader Agenda<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Beyond the junta, Xi reportedly told Min Aung Hlaing that China expects:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Protection for Chinese investments<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Crackdowns on <strong>online scams and gambling operations<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Continued <strong>stability<\/strong> for cross-border infrastructure<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These points underline China\u2019s <strong>pragmatic support<\/strong> for the junta\u2014rooted not in ideology, but in <strong>strategic and economic self-interest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>China&#8217;s Hopes for an Election-Based Reset<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>China has also reportedly <strong>expressed support<\/strong> for the junta\u2019s plan to hold <strong>elections by early 2026<\/strong>, seeing it as a potential way to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Quiet the civil war<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Normalize international perception<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Avoid complete regime collapse<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Beijing does not appear concerned with <strong>who wins the election<\/strong>, but rather with whether it can <strong>reduce military conflict<\/strong> and stabilize the state for its own projects.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>What Does This Mean for Myanmar?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Min Aung Hlaing is attempting to <strong>shore up legitimacy and resources<\/strong> through Russia and China, despite massive losses at home.<\/p>\n<p>The junta is betting that <strong>diplomatic survival<\/strong> and <strong>foreign backing<\/strong> will offset its weakening position on the ground. But whether this \u201clifeline\u201d from Moscow and Beijing will be effective depends on <strong>what unfolds in the coming months<\/strong>\u2014both militarily and diplomatically.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 May 9 Overview&#8221;, published by MoeMaKa on May 10, 2025*: What Might Come from Min Aung Hlaing\u2019s Meeting with Xi Jinping in Moscow? On May 9, Myanmar\u2019s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing met with Chinese President&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/05\/what-might-come-from-min-aung-hlaings-meeting-with-xi-jinping-in-moscow\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,58],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-6038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current","category-features","tag-myanmar-spring-revolution"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3-1.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3RDLm-1zo","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6038"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6040,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6038\/revisions\/6040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}