Editor’s note: Song Qingrun, a special commentator for CGTN, is a professor of the School of Asian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily those of either CGTN or Robert Morris University.
China and Myanmar are close neighbors, bound not only by mountains and rivers but also by deep-rooted friendship. For generations, they have referred to each other as “paukphaw,” meaning “siblings” in the Myanmar language. In fact, Myanmar was the first non-socialist country to formally recognize the People’s Republic of China on June 8, 1950. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that historic moment.
In the 1950s, the China-proposed Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence – mutual respect for other countries’ territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence – also jointly advocated by Myanmar and India, became a key framework for state-to-state relations, contributing to building more just and stable international relations.
At key moments in global diplomacy, such as the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia, where Asian and African countries came together to promote cooperation and solidarity and oppose colonialism and imperialism, and the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement, China and Myanmar worked closely together, amplifying the voice of developing countries on the world stage.
In today’s increasingly complex and volatile international landscape, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit continue to offer guidance in the pursuit of global fairness and justice, and promote the democratization of international relations.
In the 1960s, through friendly dialogue and mutual accommodation, the two countries successfully resolved longstanding border issues, setting an example for other nations in resolving boundary disputes. In January 2020, the leaders of both countries announced the establishment of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future.
Through hardship and progress alike, China and Myanmar have stood closely together. As Chinese President Xi Jinping once remarked, China and Myanmar are a community with a shared future, bound together through mutual support and solidarity in both good times and bad. Myanmar, in turn, supports China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and has expressed readiness to work with China and other countries to implement these proposals and jointly build a more peaceful, secure and prosperous world.
China-Myanmar relations are entering a new era, with both fresh opportunities and challenges. At the global level, rising unilateralism and protectionism, coupled with growing anti-globalization sentiment, have disrupted the international order. Regionally, instability in certain areas and increasingly complex security threats add further uncertainty.
Against this backdrop, China and Myanmar have been deepening communication and coordination. Building on the outcomes of Xi’s state visit to Myanmar in 2020, the two countries are enhancing exchanges on governance and policy, aligning their efforts to implement the three China-proposed initiatives.
They can use high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a practical foundation to deepen economic and trade ties and drive forward key projects along the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. As a crucial part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the corridor plays a central role in promoting economic development and improving livelihoods.
There is ample room for the two to expand cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, including railways and highways, renewable energy, industrial cooperation and trade and investment. This includes accelerating progress on major projects like the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone on the western coast of Myanmar, moving forward with joint railway initiatives to improve Myanmar’s infrastructure and enhance cross-border connectivity and stepping up energy cooperation to ease Myanmar’s long-standing power shortages. Deeper cooperation in industrial parks will support the growth of key industries and generate more job opportunities.
Moreover, China and Myanmar can strengthen cooperation and exchanges in fields such as agriculture and science and technology. By sharing its development experience, China can help Myanmar enhance its capacity for independent development and support its pursuit of long-term sustainability goals.
On the multilateral level, cooperation can be expanded under frameworks such as the Lancang–Mekong Cooperation mechanism, which comprises China and the five Mekong River countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, to support poverty reduction efforts in Myanmar.
The implementation of the GSI is closely tied to the well-being of the people of both countries and regional stability. On one hand, China will continue to promote peace and facilitate dialogue, working to sustain the current momentum toward ceasefire and negotiations in northern Myanmar. On the other hand, the two should strengthen cooperation on security issues, jointly addressing cross-border challenges such as transnational crime to safeguard regional stability.
By May 2025, China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand had carried out over 150 joint patrols, making a substantial contribution to the security of the Mekong River region. Looking ahead, China and Myanmar need to strengthen law enforcement cooperation, enhance intelligence sharing and carry out more targeted operations against transnational crimes.
They have already carried out multiple rounds of cooperation to address non-traditional security threats, such as natural disasters and public health emergencies. China has repeatedly helped Myanmar respond to floods, earthquakes and other crises. After the powerful earthquake in Myanmar in March, China was the fastest to respond and provided the largest amount of assistance. Myo Aung, chief minister of Myanmar’s Mandalay Region, said the Chinese team was the only international medical and disease control team to reach Mandalay in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Going forward, the two countries should continue to strengthen cooperation by building more robust emergency coordination mechanisms. Enhancing joint capacity to respond to sudden events in areas such as disaster relief and public health emergencies will safeguard the lives of the people and maintain social order and stability in both countries and the broader region.
The 14th batch of emergency humanitarian in-kind assistance dispatched by the Chinese government in Yangon, Myanmar, May 14, 2025. /Xinhua
The 14th batch of emergency humanitarian in-kind assistance dispatched by the Chinese government in Yangon, Myanmar, May 14, 2025. /Xinhua
The GCI has created broad opportunities for China and Myanmar to expand cooperation in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The two countries share a long history of cultural interaction, and the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations is an important opportunity to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in education, culture and tourism.
They can organize more cultural exchange programs to deepen public understanding and appreciation of each other’s culture. Educational cooperation can be expanded by increasing the number of student exchanges and academic partnerships to foster talent that will support broader bilateral cooperation in the years to come. In the field of tourism, both can work to simplify visa procedures and develop more cross-border travel routes, thereby facilitating greater movement of people.
These efforts will help build a stronger foundation of public goodwill that will support the long-term development of China-Myanmar relations.
