China supports peace, unification, territorial integration and political reconciliation in Myanmar, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Burmese military leader Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday in Naypyidaw.
Wang’s visit to Myanmar came as a Beijing-brokered ceasefire collapsed and ethnic minority rebel groups gained ground against the ruling junta in regions bordering China’s southern Yunnan province.
Maintaining ties with both the military junta and the rebels, China sent special envoy Deng Xijun to Naypyidaw last week, followed by its new ambassador Ma Jia on Monday.
Wang repeated to General Hlaing China’s long-held principle of “non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs”, saying Beijing “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity”, according to a Chinese foreign ministry’s readout.
09:33
Myanmar’s military government lost direct control over 86% of its territory after months of fighting
Myanmar’s military government lost direct control over 86% of its territory after months of fighting
“As a friendly neighbour, China is opposed to chaos and war in Myanmar, opposed to any interference by extraterritorial forces in Myanmar’s internal affairs, and opposed to any attempts to drive a wedge between China and Myanmar or to smear China’s intentions,” Wang was quoted as saying.
To facilitate an early realisation of a political reconciliation and a democratic transition, Wang said China would support a new “five-point road map”, an updated version of a peace plan previously agreed upon between the junta and the loose alliance of ethnic minority rebel groups, which had failed.
The readout, however, did not provide details of the updated plan.
China has maintained ties with the military junta, which seized power in a coup d’état in February 2021 and liaises with some of the ethnic minority armed forces. Beijing has repeatedly called for ceasefire and truce, and expressed concern that fighting in northern Myanmar may spill over to Yunnan province.
According to the Chinese read out, Wang asked Hlaing to “effectively protect the safety of Chinese personnel and projects in Myanmar, maintain peace and stability along the China-Myanmar border”, while stepping up the crackdown on cross-border crime.
He promised more cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative projects, including the operation of the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines that transport natural gas from Myanmar’s Kyaukphyu Port in the Bay of Bengal to China’s southwestern Yunnan province.
Hlaing thanked Wang for China’s “constructive role” in promoting peace talks in northern Myanmar and expressed hope that China would continue support for Myanmar in maintaining stability and achieving political reconciliation, according to the readout.
“Myanmar is also willing to continue to cooperate with China in combating transnational crimes, such as internet gambling and scamming, and will never allow any act that undermines China’s security and interests,” Hlaing was quoted as saying.
Wang also met with Than Shwe, former junta leader in the 1990s and 2000s.
After his trip to Myanmar, Wang will visit Thailand to co-chair the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and attend an “informal discussion” between counterparts from Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
