Key Events 

• Việt Nam Welcomes Myanmar’s Military-Backed Leader;
• Land Seizures Expand as Việt Nam Accelerates Development Projects;
• Derek Trần Votes Against Anti-Socialism Resolution, Citing Việt Nam Omission;
• Việt Nam Protests Chinese Construction On Disputed Paracel Islands;
• Eleven Sentenced To Death In Major Việt Nam Drug Trafficking Case.

Min Aung Hlaing’s Visit Highlights ASEAN’s Divisions Over Myanmar

Myanmar’s military-backed president, Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Hanoi on Sept. 4 for a three-day visit to rebuild regional ties and attract investment. The trip, at the invitation of Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary  Tô Lâm, was his third visit to a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since assuming the presidency in April. 

Reuters called Việt Nam his seventh destination, although The Associated Press listed earlier trips to India, China, Laos, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia. He was scheduled to hold talks with Tô Lâm, meet Việt Nam’s prime minister and National Assembly president, attend a Myanmar-Việt Nam business forum, and meet representatives of economic organizations. Myanmar state television said he landed at Nội Bài International Airport at noon. Reuters reported that the visit would run through Sept. 6.