Instead, they invited him to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province to Myanmar’s north, for a small regional summit hosted by Li Qiang, China’s premier. But their real purpose is to prod him to lay out plans for fresh elections in 2025.

Myanmar's ruling military has been battling against a rebellion that erupted after it seized power in a 2021 coup and has largely ignored calls by its Southeast Asian neighbours to cease hostilities and enter into dialogue with its opponents.