(Central News Agency reporter Zeng Tingxuan's special report from Hanoi on the 4th) Myanmar military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing visited Vietnam on the 4th to deepen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. This trip is part of his recent diplomatic offensive to visit ASEAN, hoping to break through international isolation and seek legitimacy in power through bilateral relations. Vietnam reiterated its commitment to implement the ASEAN's "five-point consensus" and Myanmar's "five-point line" to peacefully resolve the civil war.
Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the Myanmar military-backed government, arrived in Vietnam at noon on the 4th as the president of Myanmar for a three-day visit and met with Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and other leaders.
In addition, he will also hold meetings with Vietnamese telecommunications, defense and automobile companies to strengthen economic cooperation, and deliver a speech at the 2026 Myanmar-Vietnam Business Forum.
In 2017, Vietnam and Myanmar upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive cooperative relationship. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Saigon Liberation Daily (SGGP) pointed out today that economic and trade cooperation is a major focus of bilateral relations. In the first half of 2026, bilateral trade volume reached US$336 million, an increase of 26% compared with the same period in 2025.
Vietnam is Myanmar's seventh largest source of foreign investment. It has 107 effective investment projects in Myanmar with a total registered capital of more than 1.4 billion US dollars, mainly in the fields of telecommunications, banking, real estate, construction, industrial manufacturing and agriculture. The economies of the two countries are highly complementary, Vietnamese enterprises have advantages, and cooperation meets Myanmar's socio-economic development needs.
Reuters reported on the 4th that the purpose of Min Aung Hlaing's trip was to seek greater legitimacy and hope to reintegrate into regional affairs. Since being sworn in as president in April this year, Min Aung Hlaing's strategy of actively visiting various countries has attracted attention. He attempts to strengthen his image through diplomatic activities, hopes to attract foreign investment, and also strives to "normalize" relations with Southeast Asian countries.
Min Aung Hlaing visited Laos in July and embarked on a two-day official visit to Thailand in early August. According to Chea Thyrith, spokesperson of the Cambodian Senate, Min Aung Hlaing is expected to visit Cambodia on September 11. In addition to ASEAN countries, Min Aung Hlaing has also recently visited India, China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus.
Since then Army Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's government in February 2021, triggering a civil war, ASEAN has refused to recognize the rule of the military government, and relations with ASEAN have continued to deteriorate. It was even banned from participating in the ASEAN high-level summit for failing to comply with the Myanmar peace plan adopted by ASEAN in April 2021.
Min Aung Hlaing's recent frequent bilateral visits with neighboring countries on the Indochina Peninsula are seen by the outside world as an attempt to bypass the collective restrictions of ASEAN as a whole and gradually restore his diplomatic status in the region through individual contacts.
Bloomberg pointed out that Min Aung Hlaing has visited Vietnam and other countries after years of diplomatic isolation, "showing that differences among ASEAN member states are intensifying, and some neighboring countries have begun to officially receive Min Aung Hlaing for state visits."
The Philippines, which holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN this year, pointed out that some member states have said that "it is time to readjust relations with Myanmar."
Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro told Bloomberg on the 3rd that the reason for wanting to establish new relations is that if a civil war breaks out, refugees will appear and they will bear the brunt.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told foreign media last month about the decision to host the Myanmar leader: "This is not a question of legitimacy, but a question of reality."
However, other ASEAN member states still hope to implement the "Five Point Consensus" (5PC) of the core framework for dealing with the Myanmar issue before normalizing relations with Myanmar, including an immediate end to violence, constructive dialogue with all parties, and the dispatch of special envoys to ASEAN. However, Myanmar has previously rejected ASEAN's call to visit Aung San Suu Kyi and release her, saying it interfered with the country's judicial process.
Nhân Dân reported today that Vietnam reiterated the implementation of the ASEAN "five-point consensus" and Myanmar's own "five-point road map" during the meeting.
The five-point road map is a national restructuring plan proposed by the Myanmar military government after the coup. Its goal is to consolidate and legitimize its power through military-led elections. The process includes reorganizing the electoral commission, restoring peace and a comprehensive ceasefire, and holding general elections to hand over power.
ASEAN's five-point consensus and the military government's five-point line conflict in some core areas. For example, the former demands dialogue with the opposition, but the latter refuses and attempts to bypass the supervision of the ASEAN special envoy and end the civil war through elections organized by the military.
Vietnamese officials have chosen a "dual-track approach" to maintain the collective stance of ASEAN member states in supporting the five-point consensus on the one hand, and to provide pragmatic dialogue space for the Myanmar military government's own road map on the other.
However, as ASEAN loosens its political isolation from Myanmar, the connotation and implementation methods of ASEAN's five-point consensus may be adjusted. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150904
