Following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Myanmar's military junta is reportedly seeking to rejoin ASEAN summits. Analysts suggest this meeting may embolden the junta to escalate actions against resistance forces amid the ongoing civil war.
The meeting between China and Myanmar's junta could influence regional diplomacy by potentially readmitting Myanmar to ASEAN summits and may lead to an escalation of the civil conflict within Myanmar.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing in Beijing, a meeting that analysts suggest could embolden the Southeast Asian nation's military junta. The talks provided significant political endorsement to the junta, which seized power in February 2021 and has faced international isolation.
During the meeting, Xi Jinping stated that Beijing prioritizes its ties with Myanmar, describing the country as holding an "important position" in China's neighborhood diplomacy. He expressed a willingness to "strengthen strategic guidance" and "deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation," using the Burmese term "pauk-phaw" to signify the special relationship between the two nations.
Following this high-level engagement, Myanmar's junta may seek to persuade the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to allow its return to the bloc's summits. Concurrently, analysts suggest that the perceived backing from China could encourage the regime to escalate its military approach in dealing with the country's ongoing civil war and resistance forces.