Min Thu Wun's Affinity with China is a collection of essays about China and translation of Chinese literature. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Min Thu Wun studied Burmese literature before going to Oxford University to study linguistics, Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan in 1936. He returned to Myanmar in 1939 and worked at the University of Yangon - teaching, writing and translating.

"Min Thu Wun was the chief editor of the university's publishing house when I was there," Li recalls. "When Chen Yi, then-foreign minister of China, visited Myanmar (formerly Burma) in 1960, Min Thu Wun asked me to explain the meaning of the poems Chen had written during his visit."

The translations of seven poems by Chen, expressing his feeling at the different sites he visited in Myanmar, are included in the new book with paintings of the places such as the Mandalay Palace and the Thanlwin River.

Min Thu Wun visited China with a group of scholars in 1962 and Li accompanied them as an interpreter. They traveled to many cities, including Beijing and Hangzhou. Li recalls Min Thu Wun asking him for an anthology of Bai Juyi during that trip. Both he and the Tang poet were interested in the portrayal of grassroots people, Li says.

Besides the translations of works that are familiar to Chinese readers, the book also has three essays by Min Thu Wun on his hometown and Burmese culture.

"Min Thu Wun has built a bridge of literature between the peoples of China and Myanmar, connecting their hearts and souls," Lu Cairong, the deputy director of China International Publishing Group, says.

"This book is a mark of the friendship between people of China and Myanmar, a token of respect to Min Thu Wun, and a wish for further cultural exchanges between the two countries."