State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi left for China today at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang.
A number of issues are likely to be on the agenda including the fate of the controversial $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project. The project was suspended by former President Thein Sein after it drew widespread protests on environmental grounds.
Other Chinese projects in Myanmar have also proved contentious, including the Letpadaung copper mine, which has also led to repeated protests.
With the Union Peace Conference, or 21 Century Panglong, slated for the 31 August she is also expected to raise the issue of Myanmar’s armed ethnic groups operating on the Sino-Myanmar border. A number of these groups are heavily influenced by China and Suu Kyi is likely to seek Chinese support for the peace process.
The trip will last four days.
