SAC Leader Meets Xi Jinping for the First Time Since the Coup

On May 9, during his visit to Russia for the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, SAC leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his delegation. This marks the first official meeting between the SAC leader and President Xi since the February 2021 military coup and is also the SAC leader’s fifth trip to Russia, following a March visit in which he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The Chinese delegation included senior officials such as Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The meeting coincided with Xi's bilateral engagements with other visiting leaders, including those from Cuba, Venezuela, Slovakia, Serbia, and Vietnam. 

President Xi affirmed China’s support for Myanmar’s earthquake relief efforts and expressed backing for the SAC’s planned election in December 2025. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made no mention of elections discussion in its press release. The SAC's Union Election Commission (UEC) recently announced that an election date has been decided but did not specify the exact date, although registered parties estimate that it will be held on 14 December this year. Xi also pledged continued Chinese assistance for Myanmar’s development and peace-building initiatives. Both leaders reportedly discussed the status of Chinese investment projects in Myanmar, while the SAC leader reiterated the regime’s commitment to holding elections by the end of the year, stating that preparations were underway for international observation missions. 

This visit comes as the SAC seeks to regain diplomatic traction on the international stage, particularly in the wake of the recent earthquake, which created openings for diplomatic engagement within the context of humanitarian response. The meeting with Xi is one of Min Aung Hlaing’s many recent regional diplomatic overtures, including his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi on a sideline of the 6th BIMSTEC summit in Thailand in early April and an in-person engagement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in mid April.   

Xi’s engagement with the SAC leader highlights the diplomatic imbalance China appears increasingly willing to maintain in favor of the military regime which has been evident in its continued support through multiple fronts, be it establishing a joint security venture and more recently, the facilitation of the Lashio handover. The meeting may also provide the SAC with a semblance of legitimacy it may seek to garner regional support for its planned elections.