China's president  meets  Myanmar’s Suu Kyi  

AFP, BEIJING: Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday, state media said, during her closely watched first visit that China hopes will establish a line of communication with the influential opposition leader. Suu Kyi met Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, which did not immediately provide details on what was discussed.
Beijing was a key backer of Myanmar's former military junta while it was under Western sanctions -- most of which have been lifted since 2011 -- and a much-needed international ally for a brutal regime that crushed dissent and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for more than 15 years.
But China-Myanmar relations have cooled as the country has introduced democratic reforms and opened up economically to the West while in recent months an ethnic insurgency in the Kokang region of Myanmar has spilled over the border into China.
The visit comes as Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party is expected to perform strongly in elections later this year and China looks to develop a rapport with the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Suu Kyi came to China at the invitation of the Communist Party, of which Xi is the general secretary.
"China and Myanmar are close, friendly neighbours," Xi said, according to Xinhua.
"China always looks at the China-Myanmar relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective," he added.
"We hope and believe that the Myanmar side will also maintain a consistent stance on China-Myanmar relationship and be committed to advancing friendly ties, no matter how its domestic situation changes."

Chinas president meets Myanmars Suu Kyi

AFP, BEIJING: Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday, state media said, during her closely watched first visit that China hopes will establish a line of communication with the influential opposition leader. Suu Kyi met Xi at Beijings Great Hall of the People, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, which did not immediately provide details on what was discussed. Beijing was a key backer of Myanmars former military junta while it was under Western sanctions -- most of which have been lifted since 2011 -- and a much-needed international ally for a brutal regime that crushed dissent and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for more than 15 years. But China-Myanmar relations have cooled as the country has introduced democratic reforms and opened up economically to the West while in recent months an ethnic insurgency in the Kokang region of Myanmar has spilled over the border into China. The visit comes as Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party is expected to perform strongly in elections later this year and China looks to develop a rapport with the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Suu Kyi came to China at the invitation of the Communist Party, of which Xi is the general secretary. China and Myanmar are close, friendly neighbours, Xi said, according to Xinhua. China always looks at the China-Myanmar relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, he added. We hope and believe that the Myanmar side will also maintain a consistent stance on China-Myanmar relationship and be committed to advancing friendly ties, no matter how its domestic situation changes.