中 "Myanmar Coup, All Parties Must Handle It Well"... Temperature Gap with International Community

China is Myanmar's Largest Trade Partner

▲Wang Wenbin, Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Amid the military coup in Myanmar, the Chinese government, unlike the United Nations, the United States, and other members of the international community, issued a principled stance urging "all parties in Myanmar to properly handle the situation and maintain stability."

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when asked for comments on the Myanmar coup during a regular briefing, said, "We are closely monitoring the situation," and added, "As a good neighbor of Myanmar, China believes that all parties in Myanmar should properly handle conflicts within the framework of the constitution and laws to safeguard political and social stability."

This position is quite different from the international community, including the UN and the US, which have unanimously condemned the Myanmar military coup.

China is Myanmar's largest trading partner.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Myanmar and signed numerous infrastructure-related agreements, including the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project, aiming to expand China's influence over Myanmar.

Regarding concerns that the military coup could disrupt the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project, spokesperson Wang avoided giving a direct answer.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Myanmar military staged a coup, detaining senior government officials including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and declared a state of emergency for one year.