China’s foreign minister bats for Myanmar economic corridor

Beijing, June 30: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Myanmar's Minister for the Office of State Counsellor Kyaw Tint Swe in Beijing on Thursday, June 28, where they agreed to strengthen the strategic cooperation and protect peace in the bordering regions, CGTN reported.

Wang appealed the two neighbouring countries to boost development of the China-Myanmar economic corridor, one of the key projects of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Myanmar's location is seen as key in the BRI and it is considered an important link between the 21st century Maritime Silk Board and the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Chinese foreign minister said.

The Myanmar minister reciprocated by saying he appreciated China's contributions to his country's peace process and hoped that Beijing could continue doing same.

In November last year, Wang suggested addressing the alarming situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State in three phases during a joint press conference with the South-east Asian country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He had also said that China believed in finding an acceptable solution for both Myanmar and Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees took shelter after getting driven out from Myanmar, through bilateral talks.