China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said Beijing will “firmly support” Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, in a meeting with junta chief-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing.

Wang has been on a three-country visit to Southeast Asia this week, travelling to Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, seeking to strengthen ties in the face of “risks” and present Beijing as a more stable alternative to the United States.

Beijing supports Myanmar “in forging a successful development path that aligns with its national conditions and enjoys the support of its people”, Wang told Min Aung Hlaing during a visit to capital Naypyidaw, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout published late on Saturday.

“As this year marks the first year of the new Myanmar government’s tenure, both sides should seize this opportunity to carry forward and promote their traditional friendship, [and] open up new prospects for bilateral relations,” Wang said.

Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president this month, continuing his rule from a civilian post five years after snatching power in a military coup.

The parliamentary ceremony where he was sworn in was attended by representatives, including from China, which analysts say was the junta-backed election’s biggest supporter.

Democracy watchdogs have described the tightly controlled election that concluded in January as an effort to rebrand military rule, with voting not taking place in swathes of the country controlled by rebels who are fighting the military and rejected the poll.

China, Wang added, was also willing to cooperate with Myanmar to “resolutely and thoroughly eradicate the scourge” of online gambling and telecommunications fraud.

Myanmar has emerged as a hotspot for cyberscam operations in recent years.

Transnational crime groups initially mostly targeted Chinese speakers before widening their reach and stealing tens of billions of dollars annually from victims around the world.