January 1978
The first Chinese leader to visit Myanmar
people Deng Xiaoping
This video shows the highlights of Deng Xiaoping's visit to Rangoon in January 1978.
Deng Xiaoping was the first Chinese leader to visit Myanmar; Zhou Enlai had visited several times as Premier, but not Mao Zedong or Hua Guofeng. For more than a decade, China had been providing strong support to the Communist Party of Burma insurgency based in Pangsang. But, by 1978, China was keen to build closer economic and political ties with the Burma Socialist Programme Party government of U Ne Win. China was particularly keen to steer Burma towards an alliance against Vietnam (this was at the height of China-Soviet tensions). Relations improved significantly after Deng's visit and China gradually lessened its support for the Burmese communists.