Senior Chinese official visits Myanmar for border security talks as fighting rages in frontier area

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A high-ranking official from China has made a visit to military-ruled Myanmar to discuss security along the countries’ shared border. Myanmar state media reported Chinese State Council member and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met Myanmar’s Home Affairs minister, Lt. Gen. Yar Pyaeon Monday in the capital, Naypyitaw. The visit took place as fighting rages along Myanmar’s northeastern frontier. An alliance of ethnic minority groups last week launched a coordinated offensive against the military government to seize military targets in the northern part of Shan state. China is Myanmar’s biggest trading partner and maintains good relations with the country’s ruling generals. The groups in the alliance also have good relations with China.