China extends congratulations to Min Aung Hlaing on being elected as Myanmar's new president, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Min Aung Hlaing on Friday secured more than half of the votes in Myanmar's Union Parliament, winning the country's presidential election.
"China congratulates Mr. Min Aung Hlaing on his election as the president of Myanmar. China and Myanmar are traditional friends and neighbors, and a community with a shared future. China follows a policy of friendship towards all the people of Myanmar. China supports the new government of Myanmar in upholding national peace and stability and achieving development and prosperity, and stands ready to work with Myanmar to implement the four global initiatives (the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative), enhance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and make more practical achievements in the building of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future, so as to better benefit the people of both countries," said Mao.
The Presidential Electoral College of Myanmar, comprising all representatives of the Union Parliament, convened on Friday to elect the president, with 584 representatives in attendance.
During the voting session, Min Aung Hlaing, a presidential candidate nominated by the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) representatives, received 429 votes.
China congratulates Min Aung Hlaing on election as Myanmar president
At least eight civilians were killed and 95 others wounded in U.S. and Israeli attacks on a bridge in Iran's northern Alborz province on Thursday, the official news agency IRNA reported.
According to the report, the B1 bridge, located in the provincial capital Karaj, is one of the highest bridges in the Middle East and among the most complicated projects in Iran. It was targeted twice with missiles on Thursday.
IRNA cited Qodratollah Seif, the province's deputy governor for political, security and social affairs, as saying that among those killed and injured were inhabitants of Bileqan village, passengers and the families who had gathered in the nearby areas for the Nature Day, a traditional Iranian holiday marking the end of the Nowruz holidays.
He added that there were no military activities in the areas surrounding the bridge, stressing that the structure was under construction and scheduled to be inaugurated in the coming days.
Seif said those injured in the strikes were immediately transferred to nearby medical centers, and some of them were hospitalized.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video on the social media Truth Social, showing smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages," warning of further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war.
Trump delivered a speech earlier on Wednesday in which he argued that the war launched by the United States and Israel was almost over -- even as he threatened to bomb Iran "extremely hard" if it did not bow to his demands.
Condemning the attacks in a post on X, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, "Striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not compel Iranians to surrender."
He added, "It only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy in disarray. Every bridge and building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to America's standing."
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.
8 killed, 95 wounded in US-Israeli attacks on Iran bridge
