Chinese President praises Suu Kyi’s reaching out to China

The Nobel laureate, who has publicly declared her desire to be president, however, has been severely criticised for her refusal to come to the aid of Myanmar’s persecuted refugees, the Rohingyas [Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

“We appreciate your willingness to boost China-Myanmar ties,” Xi told Suu Kyi according to Chinese state agency Xinhua. Suu Kyi’s visit will help “promote relations between two parties, two nations” added Xi.

President Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held talks with Suu Kyi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Suu Kyi, the chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD)

Suu Kyi is in China from Wednesday to Sunday.

China accounts for over 30 per cent of total foreign investments in Myanmar and Suu Kyi would be keen to boost her relationship with Beijing. Nearly 80 per cent of Myanmar’s revenue from the rice trade comes from exports to China

Elections in Myanmar are due in November 2015 and the Nobee Laureate Suu Kyi is keen to reach out to Beijing, Myanmar’s most important economic partner.

Her party is expected to make big gains at the polls – the first general election they have fought since they swept the polls in 1990. The then junta ignored the result.

The Nobel laureate, who has publicly declared her desire to be president, however, has been severely criticised for her refusal to come to the aid of Myanmar’s persecuted refugees, the Rohingyas.

In the past two years, thousands of Muslim Rohingya have been killed by mobs in Rakhine, Myanmar; while thousands have fled the area for fear for further persecution.

Rohingyas, a mostly stateless Muslim minority of about 1.1 million, are living in apartheid-like conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

TBP and Agencies