Foreign minister and de facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has begun four days of meetings in Beijing that come at a critical juncture in relations between the neighbouring nations.
"The stakes are very high," wrote analyst Yun Sun in a commentary for the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute.
"The outcome of Aung San Suu Kyi's meetings could well come to define Myanmar-China relations for many years to come."
Suu Kyi already met Chinese President Xi Jinping in her capacity as head of a National League for Democracy delegation in June 2015, but Thursday's is her first visit to a foreign country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since the NLD achieved power in April this year.
Her acceptance of an invitation from Chinese premier Li Keqiang marked another milestone in Suu Kyi's tricky transition from global democracy icon to pragmatic national politician willing to overlook her host's proactive backing of a regime that held her under house arrest for 15 years.
Suu Kyi needs China's help with her August 31 peace and national reconciliation talks between ethnic armed groups, the government and the military.
In exchange for co-operation on border issues, China will likely seek support for its hotly disputed claims to most of the South China Sea as well as a fresh start for the long-stalled, Chinese-backed Myitsone Dam project.
