Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Thura U Shwe Mann, chairman of Myanmar's ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, in Beijing on Monday, vowing to facilitate stronger cooperation between the two countries and ruling parties, according to the Chinese news service ECNS.com on April 27.
Praising the traditional friendship between the countries, Xi said China-Myanmar ties have withstood the test of time because the countries respect each other's core interests and concerns while supporting each other on major issues, according to the report.
Xi called on both sides to treat China-Myanmar relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, maintain border peace and do more to help development and people's well-being.
The Chinese leader told U Shwe Mann, also speaker of Myanmar's Union Parliament and the House of Representatives, that the two countries' economies are highly complementary and enjoy huge potential.
China and Myanmar have long had a productive partnership. China's initiatives, including the "One Belt, One Road" and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, aim to upgrade China's cooperation with countries along the route, benefiting neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Xi said.
The "Belt and Road" refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, which encompass international trade and infrastructure projects and were proposed by Xi when he visited Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October 2013, according to the report.