Asia

Suu Kyi meets Chinese president during visit to boost ties

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, pose for the media before their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. Suu Kyi was welcomed by Premier Li Keqiang at a formal ceremony Thursday at part of a visit that will include talks with President Xi. The trip ending Sunday is her first to China since her party won a historic majority last year.(Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, hold a talk at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.(Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, pose for the media before their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. Suu Kyi was welcomed by Premier Li Keqiang at a formal ceremony Thursday at part of a visit that will include talks with President Xi. The trip ending Sunday is her first to China since her party won a historic majority last year.(Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to strengthen ties with her country's powerful northern neighbor.

Xi said Friday that he hopes Suu Kyi's five-day visit will boost "strategic cooperation between our two nations."

The sides have already discussed the fate of a stalled $3.6 billion dam project in northern Myanmar funded primarily by Chinese energy interests. Overwhelming local opposition to the Myitsone dam project led Myanmar's previous president, Thein Sein, to suspend it.

Chinese officials have pushed for Suu Kyi to re-start construction. China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday that the two countries agreed to try to find a "proper solution."

Suu Kyi leads Myanmar's government with the title of state counselor after her party won elections last year.