Yangon - Myanmar's new President Thein Sein on Monday received a senior official from the Chinese communist party in his first official meeting with a foreign delegation, sources said.
The president met with Jia Qinglin, chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in the capital Naypyitaw, a government source who asked to remain anonymous said.
'The visiting Chinese official also signed a memorandum of understanding with Vice President Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo related to the social and economic co-operation between the two countries,' the source said.
Jia's delegation arrived in Mandalay on Saturday where they were feted by the mayor, Minister for Development Affairs Phone Zaw Han and other ministers, according to state media reports.
The group arrived in Naypyitaw Sunday morning.
China is Myanmar's closest ally, and recently became the South-East Asian nation's largest private investor.
Thein Sein last week replaced Senior General Than Shwe, junta chief since 1992, as the new head of state.
In his inaugural speech, he urged the international community to 'immediately stop bullying Myanmar, drop sanctions and to work together with the government.'
Myanmar has been subject to economic sanctions by Western democracies since September 1988, when the army cracked down on a pro-democracy movement and reportedly killed up to 3,000 people.
The country been been ruled by military juntas since 1988, and before that by a military-socialist regime since 1962.
Some 82 per cent of the new ministers, who came to power after the military-managed November 7 election, are either former or active military men.
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