Myanmar has been part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development strategy since its adoption by the Chinese government and it is willing to continue participating in beneficial projects, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said on Wednesday.

The state counsellor made the remark in a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, according to Voice of America’s Myanmar service.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which started Thursday and ends Saturday.

Before the official start of the forum, she paid a call on the Chinese president to express her appreciation for the strengthening of bilateral relations between China and Myanmar as well as future cooperation under the BRI.

President Xi said he desired the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation with Myanmar within the BRI framework.

According to a statement from the Office of the State Counsellor, the heads of state also discussed the acceleration of cooperation between the two countries to improve the lives of their citizens.

Observers said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to sign agreements for more projects under the BRI at the forum.

Minister of Transport and Communications U Thant Sin Maung, Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing, Deputy Minister of Commerce U Aung Htoo, and Deputy Minister of Planning and Finance U Set Aung are also attending the forum.

Of the 40 projects under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor initiative, Myanmar will prioritise nine of them in power, roads, bridges, communications, construction, agriculture, research, and technology.

Besides national-level projects, China’s Yunnan province is proposing smaller projects in Myanmar.

Also, Guangdong Province Deputy Administrator Qu Yang said during the Guangdong- Myanmar Commerce and Investment Conference earlier this year that the province will cooperate with Myanmar in four sectors under the BRI.

The meeting on Wednesday also discussed China’s continuing help for Myanmar’s efforts to achieve peace and national reconciliation, ensure border stability and law enforcement, repatriate refugees in Rakhine State, cooperate on international relations, and promote tourism.

Next year will mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar.