The Burmese junta's Secretary 1, Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo, told Chinese officials he met with in Beijing on Monday that Napyidaw is “striving to push forward democracy, national stability and development,” adding that he appreciated China’s support for Burma, the Chinese media reported.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Tin Aung Myint Oo’s comment came during his meeting
with Li Changchun, the 5th ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
During the meeting, which highlighted the fact that the Burmese general’s visit to China was focused on political issues between the two countries, Li Changchun noted that Burma and China treated each other with “respect and equality” in bilateral ties.
Tin Aung Myint Oo’s words are almost identical to those used by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in October 2009, when he told Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein at the 15th annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Hua Hin, Thailand, that Beijing hoped Burma “will achieve stability, national reconciliation and development.”
Tin Aung Myint Oo, who is also Quartermaster General of the Tatmadaw (Burmese armed forces), kicked off his China trip on Saturday, and Burma's state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Sunday that junta-chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, along with other top officials such as Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, Gen Shwe Mann and Prime Minister Thein Sein, were present to send him off.
According to the newspaper, Tin Aung Myint Oo and his delegation were invited by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who is also a member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Politburo Standing Committee. Li Keqiang is ranked 7th in the Chinese ruling hierarchy, and observers have tipped him as a possible successor of Wen Jiabao.
Tin Aung Myint Oo's visit to China sparked a rumor among Burmese intellectuals in Rangoon that the junta decided to postpone the scheduled elections. Observers say the rumor was fueled by reports that if the junta shifts its election scheduled for this year, as secretary 1 of the junta, Tin Aung Myint is supposed to inform China, the junta's closest ally.
The past two months have been a significantly busy period of diplomacy between China and Burma, with officials from both nations making frequent trips between Naypyidaw and Beijing. Burmese and Chinese official media have reported that these trips are an attempt to boost bilateral ties to mark the 60th anniversary of the Sino-Burmese relationship.
Tin Aung Myint Oo's visit marked the fifth occasion of bilateral talks between Chinese and Burmese senior officials since the beginning of June, and came only one week after a visit to Burma by Chinese Vice Premier Zhou Tienong, who is also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the Chinese Association for International Understanding.
Zhou Tienong is not, however, a member of the ruling CPC. He is a member of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK), one of eight non-communist parties in China.
During his visit to Burma, Zhou Tienong was believed to have discussed two significant issues with Burmese officials, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, who he met with on June 28 in Naypyidaw: Burma's 2010 elections and ethnic issues along the Sino-Burmese border.
Wen Jiabao visited Burma on June 2-3, just a few days ahead of the 60th anniversary. He also raised the issue of border stability with Than Shwe, as well as other bilateral concerns and areas of mutual economic and strategic interest.
Shortly after Wen Jiabao’s trip ended, Gen Fan Changlong, commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Jinan military region in eastern China, arrived in Burma for a five-day visit.
Gen Shwe Mann, the junta’s No. 3 and the joint chief of staff of the Burmese Army, Navy and Air Force, met the PLA delegation in Naypyidaw on June 8. Xinhua reported that the two generals exchanged views on matters of common concern between the two countries.
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