Li Qiang Meets Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing

Summary

On the afternoon of 16 June 2026, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Li Qiang stated that China and Myanmar are good neighbours and good partners sharing mountains and rivers, and that President Xi Jinping's talks with Min Aung Hlaing have set the course for deepening bilateral relations. China will continue to support Myanmar in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and firmly support the new government of Myanmar in its administration.

The two sides agreed to deepen high-quality co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative, advance major projects under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, leverage the dividends of China's zero-tariff policy, expand the scale of bilateral trade, and explore co-operation in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. Both sides will strengthen law enforcement and security co-operation to jointly combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, and ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects in Myanmar. They will also deepen exchanges in education, culture, tourism, youth, and health.

Within multilateral frameworks, they will closely co-ordinate to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Min Aung Hlaing stated that Myanmar adheres to the One-China principle, appreciates China's assistance, and wishes to strengthen alignment of development strategies. Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting.

Commentary

Although the China-Myanmar high-level meeting does not directly involve New Zealand, its impetus for the economic and trade landscape between China and Southeast Asia is worth attention for local SMEs. China's commitment to deepening the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor projects may lead to improvements in regional infrastructure and logistics, indirectly affecting supply chain efficiency towards Asia. If the zero-tariff policy dividend is extended to Myanmar, it may prompt some labour-intensive industries to relocate from China to Myanmar, impacting intermediate goods prices imported from China.

On the other hand, Myanmar's role as a gateway to the South Asian market, if stable, could facilitate new export routes for New Zealand businesses. Emerging co-operation areas such as the digital economy and renewable energy may offer indirect windows for New Zealand technology SMEs to enter the Myanmar market, particularly through Chinese partners. Law enforcement and security co-operation to combat cross-border crimes will contribute to an improved regional business environment.

Overall, this news suggests that New Zealand enterprises should continuously track China's diplomatic moves in its neighbourhood and assess their potential impact on trade routes, raw material costs, and diversified market expansion.

Keywords: Li Qiang, Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, China-Myanmar relations, Belt and Road Initiative, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, zero-tariff, bilateral trade, law enforcement and security, digital economy

Source: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand