Min Aung Hlaing Echoes Xi in Rebuke of Western ‘Bullying’

GNLM

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has accused unnamed “powerful nations” of bullying smaller states, echoing similar remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held Monday in Tianjin.

Speaking to regional leaders, Min Aung Hlaing criticised what he called the imposition of foreign democratic models that ignore the “internal situations” of sovereign nations. His comments come amid ongoing Western sanctions against Myanmar following the military’s 2021 coup, which ousted the elected government and triggered widespread condemnation.

The general’s remarks closely mirrored Xi’s keynote address, in which the Chinese leader denounced “bullying behaviour” in global affairs. During a bilateral meeting on Sunday, Xi reportedly reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s development path “aligned with its own conditions,” and pledged continued cooperation.

Min Aung Hlaing’s visit marks his first personal invitation to the SCO summit by Xi, underscoring China’s growing embrace of Myanmar despite international isolation. The junta has increasingly sought refuge in China- and Russia-led blocs, including BRICS and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), where it has requested observer status.

Facing restrictions on dollar transactions, the regime has turned to direct trade using regional currencies such as the kyat, yuan, rupee, baht, and ruble. These efforts reflect a broader strategy to circumvent Western financial pressure and deepen ties with sympathetic powers.

Myanmar became a dialogue partner of the SCO in 2023, but its ambitions appear to be expanding. The junta’s overtures to BRICS and the EAEU suggest a bid to reposition itself within a multipolar world order, one less beholden to Western norms.

While Min Aung Hlaing’s rhetoric may resonate with fellow authoritarian leaders, it does little to address the domestic turmoil gripping Myanmar. The country remains mired in civil conflict, economic decline, and international isolation—conditions that no summit speech can easily undo.

-2025-09-03