BANGKOK — BANGKOK (AP) — China’s top diplomat on Saturday visited Myanmar’s capital and met with the leader of its military-backed government as part of a regional tour aimed at strengthening Beijing’s political, security and strategic ties in Southeast Asia.

State-run MRTV television reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Min Aung Hlaing discussed enhancing Myanmar’s international relations and cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Wang’s visit to Naypyitaw comes after Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president on April 10 following an election that critics say was neither free nor fair and was designed to maintain the military’s grip on power five years after it ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.

The report said Min Aung Hlaing told Wang he was pleased that the Chinese president Xi Jinping sent his congratulatory message within hours of his election.

China, which has major geopolitical and economic interests in Myanmar, is Myanmar’s biggest trading partner and a longstanding ally. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Myanmar’s mines, oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure and is a major arms supplier along with Russia.

China is one of a small number of countries that have openly supported recent elections and sent congratulatory messages to Min Aung Hlaing after he became president.

The ASEAN, whose 11 members include Myanmar, was among the outside groups that did not recognize Myanmar’s elections after most opposition groups were excluded and dissent was tightly restricted. Voting also could not take place in some areas due to Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.

Myanmar’s leaders were barred from attending ASEAN’s previous meetings after failing to implement a peace plan agreed to by the bloc in April 2021, which called for an immediate end to violence, dialogue among all parties and humanitarian aid.

Myanmar’s previous military government led by Min Aung Hlaing allowed limited humanitarian aid on its own restrictive terms and did not comply with other terms of the plan.

In his April 10 inauguration speech, Min Aung Hlaing said restoring normal relations with ASEAN was among his top priorities.

Saturday’s report said the two sides also exchanged views on border stability, trading, cooperation in eliminating cybercrime and Myanmar’s internal peace efforts.

China also maintains ties with the ethnic armed groups operating near its border, including the powerful “Three Brotherhood Alliance” that has been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central government.

The alliance captured large swaths of territory near Chinese border and western Myanmar between late 2023 and 2024, inspiring resistance forces opposed to military rule to expand their operations across the country.

However, a series of China-brokered ceasefires last year slowed their advance, allowing the army to retake key territories and regain the upper hand since mid-2025.