As Beijing Tightens Hold on Burma, Fractures Emerge

The CCP has been backing air strikes on civilians, environmentally destructive mining of heavy rare earths, and a lopsided election.

Burma's military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (C) at a bilateral meeting with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025, in the Guest House of Tianjin, on August 30, 2025 in Tianjin, China. Andres Martinez Casares - Pool/Getty Images

When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invited two dozen global heads of state to Tianjin, China, ahead of its massive war anniversary parade last month, it seemed to elevate the role of one military dictator.

Min Aung Hlaing, leader of the military regime in Burma (also known as Myanmar), had been snubbed by CCP leadership when he sought a meeting a few years ago.