Asia-Pacific

Myanmar top leader leaves for China on state visit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-07 11:48

YANGON - Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe left Nay Pyi Taw Tuesday on a five-day state visit to China.

Than Shwe's Beijing visit came three months after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Myanmar in June.

Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders.

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Than Shwe will also visit the 2010 Shanghai Expo and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province.

During the visit, China and Myanmar will review the development of bilateral ties and inform each other of their domestic situation and development strategies.

The two sides will also exchange views on boosting China - Myanmar relations and bilateral cooperation and discuss international and regional issues of common concern.

The year 2010 marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Myanmar.

During Wen's June Myanmar visit, the two countries signed 15 documents on cooperation covering areas such as a natural gas pipeline, hydropower station and grant aid.

The two prime ministers also attended celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties and took part in a handover ceremony for an international conference center, which was constructed with Chinese aid.

China is now Myanmar's third largest trading partner and investor. In 2009, bilateral trade totaled 2.907 billion US dollars.

Up to January 2010, China's investment in Myanmar amounted to 1. 848 billion dollars, accounting for 11.5 percent of Myanmar's then total foreign investment. In May, China made a huge investment in Myanmar with a total of 8.173 billion dollars including Hong Kong' s 3.143 billion dollars, bringing China's total investment in Myanmar to 10 billion dollars up to May this year since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, according to Myanmar official statistics.

In recent years, the two sides had expanded cooperation in hydropower, energy, mining, communications, fishery, manufacturing and infrastructure, and there had been frequent exchanges in culture, news and sports.

China and Myanmar, linked by waters and mountains, have enjoyed traditional friendship since they forged diplomatic ties 60 years ago.

Myanmar was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China and the two countries jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Thanks to their joint efforts, relations between China and Myanmar have progressed steadily, and stood up to all tests and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples.