The head of Myanmar’s military government will pay an official visit this week to China, the embattled Southeast Asian nation’s most important international ally, for several regional meetings, state-run media reported on Monday, amid concern by the opposition. The visit comes as Myanmar’s army has suffered unprecedented battlefield defeats over the past year, especially in areas near the Chinese border. Myanmar’s pro-democracy opposition has expressed concern about China welcoming a visit by Min Aung Hlaing. It is Min Aung Hlaing and his group who are destroying these things,” Kyaw Zaw said. Myanmar’s army has been on the defensive since late last year when ethnic armed organizations dealt it major defeats in the country’s northeast.

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Persons: Min Aung Hlaing, Aung, Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s, Min Aung, Chao, Kyaw Zaw, “, Aung Hlaing, ” Kyaw Zaw, Suu Organizations: Mekong Economic Cooperation, National Liberation Army, AFP, Getty Images, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, National Unity Government, Facebook, National League for Democracy, Brotherhood Alliance, ”, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army Locations: China, Suu, Beijing, Myanmar, Kunming, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam Cooperation, China’s Yunnan, ” China, Russia, Kyaukme, Getty Images Russia, Jakarta, Shan