Chinese President Xi Jinping has endorsed the political leadership of his Myanmar counterpart, Min Aung ⁠Hlaing, as the two met in Beijing to map out the future development of bilateral ties.

Xi told Min Aung Hlaing at their meeting on Tuesday that he wanted to “carry forward the brotherly friendship between our two peoples and deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

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China is the staunchest international ally of Min Aung Hlaing’s government, which has been shunned by most countries since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, overthrowing the elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate  Aung San Suu Kyi and fighting a bloody civil war against pro-democracy rebels who are now mostly based in remote areas in northern Myanmar.

“China supports all parties in Myanmar advancing peace and reconciliation through dialogue, achieving lasting stability in northern Myanmar,” Xi told his guest, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Xi said the two countries have “stood together through thick and thin”.

The meeting is Min Aung Hlaing’s second with Xi in less than a year after the retired general attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in ‌Tianjin, China, ‌in August. While Min Aung Hlaing picked India for his first foreign trip after becoming president in April some analysts said the visits to China suggested a closer relationship with Beijing and could boost his international acceptance.

One issue causing friction between the two countries is the proliferation of online gambling and internet scam compounds in Myanmar, as elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

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Xi said both countries must continue to “crack down hard” on telecommunications fraud, online gambling and drug trafficking.

Beijing held a state welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People before the leaders began their talks in a closed-door meeting that lasted less than an hour. The two men then witnessed the formal signing of 18 cooperation documents, including on cross-border transportation in the Greater Mekong subregion, free trade, assistance in the event of natural disasters, health and media.

Beijing has invested in projects in Myanmar under its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure strategy. Those projects include an oil and gas pipeline crossing the country and a planned deep-sea port. Many of the projects are located in active combat zones and have faced threats and attacks since the coup, which was led by Min Aung Hlaing.