Myanmar Junta Chief Begins Vietnam Visit Focused on Trade and Investment

Myanmar's leader, Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Vietnam on Friday for a three-day visit aimed at deepening economic cooperation between the two Southeast Asian nations. The trip marks his seventh foreign visit since the military coup in 2021, as he continues efforts to secure regional engagement and legitimacy.

On the first day, Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to meet executives from Viettel, a telecommunications and defence corporation owned by Vietnam's defence ministry. Viettel already operates telecom networks in Myanmar, and its defence arm produces drones and other military equipment that could be part of discussions, according to sources briefed on the matter.

The Myanmar leader is also expected to tour a VinFast electric vehicle factory in northern Vietnam. VinFast, which has set up assembly plants in Indonesia and India, is targeting Asian markets for expansion.

Ahead of the visit, Vietnam's ambassador to Myanmar, Nguyen Anh Duc, said the two countries should strengthen political and economic cooperation, highlighting telecoms, EV manufacturing, agriculture, and essential consumer goods as priority sectors.

Min Aung Hlaing is set to meet Vietnam's top leader, To Lam, and will attend a business forum, according to Myanmar state media. The two sides are expected to sign non-binding agreements covering areas such as crime prevention and investment promotion.

The visit comes as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continues to bar Myanmar's political representatives from its summits, citing the junta's failure to implement the bloc's peace plan to end the civil war triggered by the 2021 coup.