Leaders of both nations witness signing of nine agreements
BEIJING - President Hu Jintao and visiting Myanmar President Thein Sein on Friday oversaw the signings of a raft of financial pacts, including an agreement for a $763 million line of credit from the China Development Bank, as the leaders enhanced their ties with a "comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership".
Hu called for the quick completion of the China-Myanmar economic cooperation plan and the expansion of cooperation in fields such as energy, electricity, communications and agriculture.
After their meeting, the two presidents officiated at the signing ceremony of nine agreements including aid grants and preferential loans to Myanmar.
They also agreed to maintain stability on the border, which became a concern for Beijing when more than 30,000 refugees fled into Chinese territory during riots in Myanmar in August 2009.
Thein Sein arrived in Beijing on Thursday to start his first state visit since taking office in March, as Myanmar"s military government made way for a civilian one after almost half a century in power.
"Following the development of the situation, the two state heads agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership," said a Foreign Ministry news release.
Last week, a Myanmar government official told AFP: "The president wanted to visit China first because it is important both for diplomatic and economic ties."
China has long been a close neighbor with Myanmar, and also Myanmar"s second-largest trading partner and biggest foreign investor.
Two-way trade totaled $4.4 billion in 2010, a 53-percent surge over the previous year, according to Chinese figures.
Thein Sein brought about a dozen government ministers on the visit, including the minister for internal affairs, as well as military leaders.
China"s Ambassador to Myanmar Li Junhua said on the eve of the visit that Thein Sein"s government was ready for greater engagement with the outside world.
"We have seen a new phenomenon economically, that is inducing more foreign investment, expanding foreign trade and strengthening private enterprises," Li said.
With such a new relationship, the two countries are expected to cooperate in broader areas, increase political communication and have more high-level military exchanges, said Song Qingrun, a researcher on Southeast Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Thein Sein"s China tour came weeks after the Myanmar visit of Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People"s Political Consultative Conference. Xu Caihou, vice-chairman of China"s Central Military Commission, also went there in May.
Stability along the border is vital to the large amounts of trade and many joint projects in the area, Song said.
He said since Thein Sein"s speech in March calling for national unity, ethnic groups in Myanmar have positively responded to the call with a reconciliatory stance.
"As there are no signs of the US and EU loosening economic sanctions against Myanmar, business ties with Beijing are extremely important to the country," said Yuan Bo, a Southeast Asia expert at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
And Chinese enterprises can fully use the preferential policies in the China-ASEAN free trade agreement to boost exports to Myanmar to reach Southeast Asia, he said.
Thein Sein also met Premier Wen Jiabao and Jia Qinglin on Friday. He is scheduled to fly back home on Saturday.
Zhou Siyu contributed to this story.