China ready to enhance cooperation with Myanmar's new government: top diplomat

Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held talks with his Myanmar counterpart Tin Maung Swe in Beijing on Friday.

China stands ready to work with Myanmar's new government to strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, and deepen strategic cooperation, in order to deliver more practical outcomes in building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future and to help Myanmar accelerate development, Wang said.

Wang added that China adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, respects the choice of the Myanmar people, and supports Myanmar in following a development path suited to its national realities, actively promoting domestic peace and reconciliation, and safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests.

China is willing to work with Myanmar to jointly combat cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, and maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas between China and Myanmar, Wang said.

Noting that Myanmar firmly adheres to the one-China principle and fully supports the four major global initiatives put forward by China, Tin Maung Swe said the new government of Myanmar is willing to enhance high-level exchanges with China, promote the construction of the Myanmar-China Economic Corridor, and welcome more Chinese-funded enterprises to invest and operate in Myanmar.

Myanmar looks forward to further strengthening communication and collaboration with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, ASEAN and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, he added.

China ready to enhance cooperation with Myanmar's new government: top diplomat

In a vibrant display of national pride, a neighborhood in Sao Paulo has transformed its street into a massive canvas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, painting the asphalt in the bold green, yellow, blue, and white of the Brazilian flag.

Overtaken with excitement for the upcoming tournament, residents organized the massive art project themselves, raising 2,000 reais (about 387 U.S. dollars) to buy paint, brushes, and colorful streamers.

Aldecir Santos, who designed the patterns on the streets, said he gathered input from neighbors on how the street should be painted. Together, they settled on a plan that everyone agreed was the best.

"We decided together on the designs and where to put them. Those ones over there, and the World Cup trophy -- my son painted those. The Brazilian flag and the World Cup mascot -- a neighbor named Kaua did those. Basically, everyone had a hand in it," he said.

Neighborhood street decorations to welcome the World Cup are a tradition that goes back decades in Brazil. On this street in Sao Paolo, Brazil's largest city, adults encouraged children to take part in the painting, hopeful that the next generation will continue the spirited practice.

Jonathan Costa Ferreira, who was put in charge of buying the decorating supplies, said the local kids often stopped by after school to ask how they could help.

"We all agreed with the neighbors that the kids should be part of this. That way, they'll have memories of the World Cup. They'll learn that it comes around every four years, how much soccer means to us, and how everyone came together to make our neighborhood look so bright and beautiful," he said.

Sao Paolo neighborhood paints street in national colors as World Cup fever builds