The Myanmar junta Minister of Labour, Myint Naung, reportedly discussed allowing Myanmar citizens to work in China, during a recent trip to Kunming in China.

Apparently, amongst the topics discussed were: signing an agreement between China and Myanmar to cooperate in labour affairs; obtaining official work permits and residence permits for Myanmar workers; and ensuring that they are covered by the same Chinese labour laws that protect Chinese workers and receive the same benefits as them.

Despite China and Myanmar sharing a border Myanmar citizens are not allowed to work in China, according to an employment agency in Myanmar that sends workers to nine other countries, but not China.

China is urging the Myanmar junta to bring peace back to areas in northern Shan State that border China, where there has been fierce fighting between junta troops and the Northern Alliance.

The junta is putting pressure on migrant workers working abroad to pay 2 per cent income tax and remit 25 per cent of their salary through official banks, which will give a far worse exchange rate than can be obtained on the black market.

Labour rights activists say that the junta is trying to exploit migrant workers in this way because its reserves of foreign currency are dwindling.

Out of a Myanmar population of about 50 million, about 4 million people work abroad. Since the February 2021 coup, many more people have gone abroad to look for work.

Thailand is the country that hosts the most Myanmar migrant workers, but there are also many working in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and Middle Eastern countries, according to data from employment agencies who place workers overseas.