As Myanmar has long been shunned by the international community following the military’s 2021 coup, China, in a joint statement with Myanmar, said it supports Myanmar’s full participation in ASEAN and United Nations mechanisms and processes.
During Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to China this week, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday released the “Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on Accelerating the Building of a China-Myanmar Community with a Shared Future.”
The statement points out that both parties agreed to promote the construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, steadily advance major corridor projects such as the Kyaukphyu deep-water port and the Muse-Mandalay Railway; support the establishment of an international anti-telecom and internet fraud alliance, and will strengthen bilateral and multilateral law enforcement and security cooperation to combat online gambling, telecommunication fraud, cross-border gambling, human trafficking, illegal immigration, drug production and trafficking, counterfeiting and smuggling, financial fraud, and other cross-border criminal activities.
The statement also says that China supports Myanmar in advancing its domestic peace and reconciliation process through political dialogue, and also supports Myanmar’s full, equal, and constructive participation in ASEAN and United Nations mechanisms and processes, safeguarding Myanmar’s legitimate rights and interests. Both parties agreed to strengthen communication and coordination, maintain peace and stability in the border areas of the two countries, and achieve joint development in the border regions.
According to AFP, after Min Aung Hlaing launched the 2021 coup that overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has become increasingly diplomatically isolated, while China has become one of the few countries that continues to maintain close relations with it.
In recent years, ASEAN has consistently excluded Myanmar from leaders’ summits. Member states remain divided on whether Myanmar should be allowed to fully resume participation in ASEAN affairs while its domestic situation continues to be unstable.