YANGON, Dec 12: Chinese President Jiang Zemin was feted on his first visit to Myanmar on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from the military junta which relies heavily on Chinese investment and arms.

Jiang, the first Chinese president to visit Myanmar since 1985, was met at Yangon International Airport by the regime’s ruling troika of generals after touching down around 12:30 pm.

Thousands of well-wishers cheered as troops fired a 21-gun salute for the president as he began a three-day visit to a state isolated by the international community over its human rights record.

Jiang was welcomed by Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Vice Chairman General Maung Aye and head of military intelligence Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.

According to a spokesman for the visiting presidential delegation, Myanmar and Chinese officials signed seven memoranda of understanding on bilateral cooperations.

Kong Quan, the spokesman who gave a 45 minute press briefing late Wednesday, said through a translator that the seven MOUs involved bilateral cooperation in the economic and technical fields, protection of investments, border management, botanical inspection, animal health and disease-control, fisheries cooperation and cooperation in the oil and gas sectors.

The MOUs were signed by representatives of the two governments following a top level meeting this afternoon between visiting president and his Myanmar counterpart Senior General Than Shwe who is also chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) — the official name of ruling military junta.

In a written arrival statement carried by China’s Xinhua news agency, Jiang said China and Myanmar were “good neighbours with a profound ‘pawkphaw’ (fraternal) friendship fostered in the long term and close contacts between the two peoples”.

During the press briefing at the Sedona Hotel, the Chinese spokesman also confirmed that a total of 218 Chinese nationals, including two Taiwanese who had been put in prison here for ‘various offences,’ were released on the occasion of the visit.

Analysts say China is keen to bolster its influence in Myanmar to counter India’s growing links with the regime while firming up access to the Andaman Sea, where China is supporting the construction of a port.

Chinese activity is also strong in northern Myanmar near the border, where a growing number of Chinese entrepreneurs have bought property and set up businesses.—AFP