On June 8, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia published an article titled "Writing a New Chapter of 'Pauk-Phaw' Friendship Together" in the "Ambassador's Essay" column of the People's Daily. 

The full text of the article is as follows:

Standing atop Myanmar’s high grounds, you can see the mighty Irrawaddy River rushing southward. The Irrawaddy River originates in the southwest of China and flows through Myanmar from north to south. Its millennia-long journey bears witness to the close exchanges between the two countries. The Myanmar term “Pauk-Phaw”, meaning “siblings from the same mother”, vividly captures the profound friendship between our two peoples.

Seventy-five years ago, Myanmar became the first country with a different social system to recognize the newly founded People’s Republic of China. Since then, our bilateral relations have flourished, nurtured with dedication and care by successive generations of leaders. Premier Zhou Enlai’s memorable participation in the Water Festival, dressed in traditional Myanmar attire, remains a vivid testament to our enduring friendship. Over the decades, the two countries have jointly championed and faithfully practiced the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, setting a model for equality, mutual benefit, and common development between countries, big and small. President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Myanmar in 2020 ushered in a new era of China-Myanmar relations.

Early in our diplomatic relations, China and Myanmar took the lead in resolving their border issues through equal consultation, mutual understanding, and mutual accommodation. Guided by the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, China has always prioritized its relations with Myanmar in its neighborhood diplomacy, extending goodwill and friendship to all the people of Myanmar. We respect Myanmar’s political traditions and firmly support its pursuit of a development path suited to its national realities. The two countries support each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns, and work in close coordination under multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, East Asia cooperation, and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism.

Myanmar is a key partner of China in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. Bilateral cooperation has yielded steady progress in trade and investment, infrastructure, electrical energy, and people’s livelihoods. China has long been Myanmar’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment, while many Myanmar products are increasingly welcomed by Chinese consumers. In 2024, the signing of plant quarantine protocols for Myanmar fresh pineapples, soybeans, and other crops paved the way for more high-quality agricultural goods to reach Chinese households. Among the flagship Belt and Road projects, the China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline delivered over 100 million tons of oil and gas to China in the same year. The jointly developed Shweli River, DAPEIN and Chipwi Nge hydropower stations continue to provide stable electricity to support Myanmar’s development. Numerous “small yet beautiful” cooperation projects are delivering tangible benefits to the people of Myanmar, especially in remote regions.

Cultural exchanges between China and Myanmar continue to flourish with new highlights. Mutual understanding and friendship of both sides are increasingly deepened. Myanmar donated a Burmese-style Buddhist hall to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, and the Buddha’s tooth relic, a national treasure of China, has been enshrined in Myanmar on four occasions by special invitation. Frequent mutual visits by religious figures, experts, scholars, artists, youth representatives, and sports talents from both sides have deepened mutual understanding. Chinese language learners in Myanmar actively participate in activities such as the “Chinese Bridge” competition and “International Chinese Language Day”, with the popularity of Chinese language study continuing to rise throughout the country.

In March this year, Myanmar was struck by a once-in-a-century earthquake. China responded swiftly, becoming the first country to dispatch a rescue team, the first to save trapped survivors, the first to establish resettlement centers in the disaster zone, and the country that sent the largest number of rescue teams and personnel. Chinese rescuers successfully saved nine survivors and provided medical care to more than 2,000 affected individuals. These acts of compassion won wide acclaim from the Myanmar people. Local residents brought cooling herbal drinks, watermelons, and hot meals to the Chinese rescuers, and applied yellow neem balm to help them relieve heat and repel mosquitoes. The rescuers were deeply touched by the kindness, composure, and resilience of the Myanmar people.

Myanmar was the first country where I was stationed as a diplomat in 1995. In 2024, when I returned to the country as the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, I was imbued with a deep sense of familiarity and a stronger sense of responsibility to promote mutual understanding and cooperation and deepen the close bonds between our two nations in this new era. As we stand at the historic juncture of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Myanmar, China is ready to work hand in hand with Myanmar to write a new chapter in our “Pauk-Phaw” friendship and build a brighter future for China-Myanmar relations.