Burma is to send a vice-president to China in an effort to soothe tensions after the suspension of a $3.6bn Chinese-backed dam in the country cast a shadow over ties between the normally close allies.
News that Tin Aung Myint Oo will visit Beijing came as Chinese state media launched a defence of Beijing’s investments in Burma with The People’s Daily, a state-run newspaper, accusing foreign media of stirring up public opinion against the scheme.
China, the world’s biggest consumer of energy and commodities, has huge energy and infrastructure projects in resource-rich neighbouring countries, including Burma, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Laos.