China’s ambassador to Myanmar says situation ‘not what China wants to see’

  • China’s ambassador to Myanmar said on 16 Feb 21 the current political situation was “absolutely not what China wants to see” and dismissed social media rumours of Chinese involvement in the military coup as “completely nonsense”
  • While Western countries have strongly condemned the coup, China has been more cautious – emphasising the importance of stability. China nonetheless agreed to a UN Security Council statement that called for the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other detainees and voiced concern over the state of emergency.
  • Some of the protests against the coup that have drawn hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets in recent days have taken place outside the Chinese embassy in Yangon, with protesters accusing Beijing of supporting the military junta.
  • The ambassador dismissed viral rumours on the internet of planes bringing in Chinese technical personnel and troops to Myanmar as “completely nonsense”, saying the planes were regular cargo flights exporting goods such as seafood.
  • China has traditionally been viewed with suspicion in neighbouring Myanmar, where it has significant economic and strategic interests and has often backed Myanmar’s position against Western criticism.

External Link : https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/chinas-ambassador-to-myanmar-says-situation-not-what-china-wants-to-see

16-Feb-2021