Two Chinese battleships were greeted with celebration as they docked at Rangoon's Thilawa port in Burma on Sunday.
The People's Liberation Army Navy vessels arrived for joint naval exercises. It's meant to highlight military cooperation between CCP-ruled China and the military junta that has ruled Burma since 1962.
The naval exercises come ahead of the first elections in Burma since 20 years—heavily criticized by rights groups as a sham.
China is Burma's largest trading partner, with heavy investment in the country's natural resources. It has been known to use its clout as a veto-wielding member of the United Nations to defend the Burmese junta from sanctions for human rights violations.