Beijing: China has urged Myanmar to “cooperate” on keeping their shared border stable after armed groups fighting the military government seized a strategic trading outpost.
Beijing remarked that Assistant Foreign Minister Mr. Nong Rong visited Myanmar over the weekend to talk about clashes the UN said have displaced more than 23,000 people from their homes.
Mr. Nong had meetings during his visit with Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Lwin Oo and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Than Shwe.
Assistant Foreign Minister stated that, “Myanmar is called on to cooperate with China to maintain stability along the China-Myanmar border, earnestly ensure the safety of the lives and property of Chinese border residents, and take effective measures to strengthen the security of Chinese personnel.”
The border town of Chinshwehaw, which serves as a major route for the $1.8 billion in yearly trade between China and Myanmar, was seized by ethnic minority rebel groups in Myanmar last week.
The takeover of the town was viewed as a major blow to the military government, which has struggled to contain opposition to its rule since Senior General Mr. Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a February 2021 coup.
Last week China called for an immediate ceasefire in the region, where a billion-dollar rail route part of Beijing’s global Belt and Road infrastructure project is planned.
Laiza is a rural town on the Chinese border that is home to the Kachin Independence Army, which Naypyidaw says has joined attacks on its forces. In recent days, the military government of Myanmar has conducted airstrikes on this region.
Since the coup, China has backed Myanmar’s military government and urged Western countries who have imposed sanctions on military leaders to respect its sovereignty.
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