Aung San Suu Kyi is on her first trip to China as Myanmars state counselor. (File)
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi was to meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today in her first major foreign trip since becoming the country's de facto leader, with a suspended Beijing-backed dam project set to dominate talks.
Myanmar sees its giant neighbour -- and largest trading partner -- as its biggest foreign policy preoccupation.
Resumption of the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam will be a priority for China, while Suu Kyi seeks Beijing's cooperation for talks with armed groups operating near the countries' shared border, officials said.
Beijing was instrumental in shielding Myanmar's former junta rulers from international opprobrium while Suu Kyi languished for years under house arrest as a democracy activist.
At the time Myitsone was seen as emblematic of China's economic dominance over Myanmar. In 2011 a quasi-civilian government halted the project in a surprise move after local protests, and Beijing has been pressing for its resumption ever since.
"China definitely will discuss about (Myitsone) as it is their main interest," Kyaw Zeya, DG at Myanmar's ministry of foreign affairs told AFP.