China & Myanmar hail close ties amid Rohingya outcry

Chinese president Xi Jinping and Aung San Suu Kyi touted their nations' close ties on Friday as Myanmar's civilian leader, under fire over the Rohingya refugee crisis, visited Beijing on Friday.

Suu Kyi was in friendly territory in China and neither she nor Xi publicly mentioned the plight of Myanmar's Muslim minority group as they met in the Chinese capital.

"The (Communist) Party and the Chinese government will, as in the past, continue their policy of friendship towards Myanmar," Xi told Suu Kyi during their meeting, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Suu Kyi, who took office in 2015 after five decades of military dictatorship, gave a speech later during a meeting of world parties hosted by the Chinese Communist Party.

"China and Myanmar are committed to creating closer ties," she said, adding that the founding goals of the CCP -- "happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" -- and those of her National League for Democracy party are "not that dissimilar".

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was adored by the global human rights community but has since been ostracised for failing to speak up in defence of the Rohingya in her Buddhist-majority country.

The UN and US say the Rohingya are victims of a racial corrective campaign by Myanmar's military that has sent 820,000 of them runaway into Bangladesh since late August.

Rohingya refugees have recounted comprehensive cases of rape, killing and firing at the hands of Myanmar's army and Buddhist mobs.

Myanmar's military insists its crackdown has been balanced and targeted only at Rohingya revolts.

"Although Myanmar is not yet within the rich and powerful nations of the world, we are aspiring," Suu Kyi said at the CCP gathering.

"Our ambition is to become a liable member of the international community, intending and able to contribute to its quiet and friendship throughout the world."

Myanmar has accepted unflinching support from China, which has bestowed billions on ports, gas and oil in Rakhine -- including a $2.5 billion pipeline that opened in April.

Xi met with Myanmar's powerful army leader Min Aung Hlaing in Beijing last week.

Last month, strong Chinese against party forced the UN Security Council to spill plans to resort a resolve demanding an end to the ferocity.

Beijing has presented its own proposal to resolve the problems with a ceasefire, evacuee repatriation and poverty palliation.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have reached a vocation to begin returning refugees in two months.

Arriving in Bangladesh from Myanmar Thursday, Pope Francis urged the world to take "decisive measures" to solve the crisis, though he avoided using the term "Rohingya" when he was in Myanmar.

The label is seen as incendiary to some in the Buddhist-majority country who refuse they are a distinct ethnic group.