# Myanmar Diplomatic Breakthroughs > Myanmar's military leader shakes hands with Malaysia and the U.S. in diplomatic moves. - Title: Myanmar Diplomatic Breakthroughs · Foreign Policy | Shortify - Summary: Myanmar's military leader shakes hands with Malaysia and the U.S. in diplomatic moves. Myanmar's junta has secured talks with Malaysia and the U.S. on… - Keywords: myanmar, min aung hlaing, malaysia, united states, asean, diplomatic talks, sanctions, scam centers, rare earths, indonesia, Diplomatic, Breakthroughs - Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/14/myanmar-diplomatic-breakthroughs-min-aung-hlaing - Author: Joseph Rachman - Published: 2026-10-20T00:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: myanmar, min aung hlaing, malaysia, united states, asean, diplomatic talks, sanctions, scam centers, rare earths, indonesia ## Myanmar's Diplomatic Breakthrough Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing landed in Malaysia for talks with the U.S. and Malaysia. > Malaysia will do whatever is possible to make sure that we … ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN ## Malaysia's Shift Malaysia reversed its stance on Myanmar after being allowed to deport migrants and refugees. > Malaysia will do whatever is possible to make sure that we … ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN ## U.S. Talks Begin The U.S. started direct talks with Myanmar's military government to shut down scam centers targeting Americans. > The United States had started direct talks with the junta, reversing a policy of isolation adopted since the 2021 coup ## ASEAN Normalization? Myanmar seeks ASEAN normalization but faces resistance from Singapore and Timor-Leste. > Singapore looks more resolute. It was, according to my sources, very unhappy with the informal ASEAN-Myanmar meeting hosted in Bangkok in July this year ## U.S. Sanctions Relief The U.S. lifted sanctions on Myanmar's businesswoman daughter after 2025 relief efforts. > The United States lifted sanctions on the daughter of a Myanmar businessman accused of supporting the military ## Scam Centers Challenge The U.S. struggles to shut down Myanmar scam centers due to Chinese influence in border areas. > China has had success in hunting down scam operators in Myanmar that have targeted its own citizens ## Rare Earths Access Myanmar's rare earth deposits face U.S. access challenges due to Chinese dominance in border regions. > It is hard to imagine Washington gaining effective access to deposits in the same conflict-ridden border zones of the north where Chinese influence predominates ## Indonesian Court Ruling Indonesia's Supreme Court ruled Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka did not graduate high school. > The Indonesian Supreme Court ruled that Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka had not provided sufficient evidence that he had graduated high school ## Duterte Trial Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial for crimes against humanity. > The International Criminal Court decided that Duterte had the capacity to understand the charges and the proceedings ## Malaysia's Budget Malaysia announced a voter-friendly budget to help poorer citizens and small businesses. > The 459.8 billion-ringgit ($112.5 billion) budget included provisions to increase cash aid to poorer Malaysians, small businesses, and first-time home buyers ## AI Brain-Rot Meme An Indonesian AI-generated meme went viral as part of the 'Italian brain rot' meme trend. > The meme was created by an Indonesian teen creator known as Noxa, aka Fernanda Bagas Indrastata, using an AI generation tool ## Myanmar's Property Boom Myanmar's property market is booming as the rest of the economy crumbles. > Myanmar's property market is booming. As the rest of the economy crumbles, investors are flooding into land ## ASEAN's Stance ASEAN members are divided on Myanmar's path to normalization. > Timor-Leste is also expected to be intransigent. Its own history of struggle against Indonesian occupation and subsequent emphasis on human rights mean that it has a sympathy toward the anti-junta forces ## U.S. Midterms Impact U.S. midterms could complicate Myanmar sanctions relief efforts. > The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, told Reuters that the Trump administration’s approach was 'contrary to both our values and our interests' ## Rare Earths Processing Processing Myanmar's rare earths is harder than mining due to Chinese dominance. > Even if it did, the challenge is not just mining rare earths but also processing them. It’s in this area that China’s dominance is greatest and hardest to crack ## What's Next? Myanmar seeks ASEAN normalization and U.S. sanctions relief but faces challenges. > The biggest win for Myanmar would be the lifting of U.S. sanctions ## Key takeaway Myanmar's junta has secured talks with Malaysia and the U.S. on deporting migrants and scam centers, but faces questions about ASEAN normalization and U.S. sanctions.