Commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has begun a goodwill visit to China, according to reports. A statement from the Myanmar military said that Min Aung Hlaing was visiting at the invitation of General Li Zuocheng, a member of China’s Central Military Commission and chief of the Joint Staff Department of China. “The goodwill treatment is aimed at strengthening friendship between the two countries and their armies,” the statement said. The Senior General also said that the two countries’ strategic locations mean that good relations are crucial. The move comes ahead of a Belt and Road Initiative forum planned later this month. It is expected that the forum will be attended by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. China has several projects planned in Myanmar, one of the most notable of which is the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State. The project was suspended by former President U Thein Sein. The current government has still not announced whether or not the controversial project will go ahead.