China’s Xi Offers Backing for Myanmar’s SCO Membership Bid

China's President Xi Jinping has offered support for Myanmar's bid to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during his meeting with the head of Myanmar's military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, in Tianjin. The SCO is a regional security organization led by China and Russia, which currently has eight member states, including India and several Central Asian countries. Myanmar currently holds observer status within the organization. The meeting between Xi and Min Aung Hlaing comes amid ongoing tensions between Myanmar's military government and the international community over the coup d'état that occurred in 2021, which led to widespread protests and a crackdown on dissent. China's support for Myanmar's SCO membership bid is seen as a sign of its continued backing for the military government, despite international criticism and sanctions. This move is likely to further strain Myanmar's relationships with Western nations and could have broader geopolitical implications in the region.