Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today emphasized the importance of ‘respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity’ of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and avoiding ‘any interference in the internal affairs’ of the country.
Wang, who made the statements during a meeting in Beijing with the UN special envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop, also called for the peace process to be ‘led and directed by its own people’ and reiterated the country's ‘commitment to stability and development’, according to a statement issued by Chinese diplomacy.
The minister emphasized that China, as a country bordering Myanmar, has a ‘primary interest in restoring stability and economic progress’ in the Southeast Asian nation.
He expressed China's support for the ‘central role’ that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should play in resolving the conflict and called on Bishop to ‘maintain an objective and impartial position’ and ‘treat the relationship between all parties in a balanced way’.
Julie Bishop thanked Wang for his willingness to receive her in Beijing at an early stage in her mandate and recognized the ‘complexity and challenges’ of the conflict in Myanmar.
She expressed her desire to ‘maintain close communication and collaboration’ with China in order to ‘reach a consensus on the best way’ to resolve the situation in the country and ‘alleviate the humanitarian crisis’.
Despite the apparent close relationship between the junta and China, its dynamics are complex.
China, Myanmar's main trading partner, a nation with which it shares a 2,129 kilometre border, generally adopts a pragmatic approach towards the volatile country, maintaining ties with both the generals and rebel groups and the pro-democracy opposition to secure its many projects on Burmese territory, regardless of who leads them.
The 2021 coup put an end to ten years of democratic transition and opened a spiral of violence that exacerbated Myanmar's decades-long guerrilla war, with thousands of young people joining armed groups fighting against the army.
Wang recently travelled to Myanmar, where he called for ‘inclusive elections’, as the army's power is being weakened by an offensive by ethnic minority guerrillas and pro-democracy forces.
The Chinese official said that he supports the elections organized by the military junta, which has held power since the coup d'état in February 2021.
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