Myanmar Junta Leader Min Aung Hlaing to Visit Vietnam

Myanmar's military-appointed president, Min Aung Hlaing, will soon visit Vietnam, his fourth visit to an ASEAN member state since taking office in April, Myanmar state media reported today. The visit comes at the invitation of To Lam, Vietnam’s president and the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Min Aung Hlaing is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Tran Thanh Man, the head of the National Assembly, and "receive representatives from economic organizations." According to a report in the Global New Light of Myanmar, the former general will hold "cordial discussions and exchange views on further consolidation of the existing friendly relations… as well as cooperation across economic, cultural, and various other sectors." The announcement, which has not yet been confirmed by Hanoi, follows a visit to Myanmar last week by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, the first by a Vietnamese foreign minister since the 2021 coup. During talks with Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw, Trung "discussed boosting bilateral trade and investment, as well as mutual support on the international stage," according to The Irrawaddy, citing state media. Trung also met with Lower House speaker Khin Yi and Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, to whom he pledged "continued support for Myanmar at the U.N., ASEAN, and other international forums." Trung also reportedly extended a formal invitation for Min Aung Hlaing to visit Hanoi. The trip would be the former general’s fourth to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state since taking office as president in April, following visits to Laos in early July and Thailand last month. He has also made state visits to India and China in June, and to Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan last month. These moves reflect a concerted push by Min Aung Hlaing to consolidate Myanmar’s relationship with key partners, with a top priority being to normalize relations with ASEAN. Since late 2021, the 11-nation bloc has excluded the country from its summits over its failure to implement the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus conflict resolution plan, which calls for a cessation of violence, humanitarian aid access, and inclusive dialogue. Min Aung Hlaing's quasi-civilian government has adopted an increasingly defiant line toward ASEAN, dismissing the Five-Point Consensus as an unwarranted "interference" in its internal affairs and demanding full readmission to the bloc. Concurrently, it has sought to engage directly with willing ASEAN member states, particularly Thailand, which has positioned itself as a bridge between Myanmar and ASEAN. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to supporting and working closely with Myanmar for its full and equal participation in ASEAN mechanisms and processes during Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Bangkok last month. The fact that all four of Myanmar’s mainland Southeast Asian neighbors have now extended invitations to Min Aung Hlaing reflects a growing regional fatigue with the Myanmar conflict and a belief that "calibrated reengagement" is the best way to manage the effects of the civil war. It also highlights a continuing divergence between ASEAN’s mainland and maritime member states on how to deal with Myanmar, with mainland states favoring more engagement than maritime nations like Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which have advocated a more robust regional response to the coup. The extent to which Myanmar manages to make inroads with this camp, which is reportedly growing with the protracted deadlock inside Myanmar, may become clear in the run-up to the next ASEAN summit in November. Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage. Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year. Already have an account? Log in. Sebastian Strangio is Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.