China Urges Myanmar Democratic Forces Not to Attack Investment Factories

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been revealed that the Chinese government recently requested Myanmar's anti-military democratic forces not to attack factories invested in by China.

According to local media The Irrawaddy on the 25th, the Chinese embassy delegation in Yangon recently contacted the National Unity Government (NUG), the interim government of the democratic forces.

The Chinese side's contact was in response to an attack by armed local forces on a Chinese-invested factory in the Taze Township of the central Sagaing region on the 7th.

At that time, the Taze Township People's Defense Force (PDF) blew up three power transmission towers supplying electricity to the Tagaung Taung nickel factory, causing the factory to cease operations.

The factory, established as a joint venture between the Chinese state-owned mining company China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Co., Ltd. (CNMC) and a Myanmar mining company, is valued at $800 million (approximately 960 billion KRW) and produces 85,000 tons annually of ferronickel (an alloy of about 20% nickel and iron).

NUG Defense Minister Ei Mon explained to the Chinese side that "attacking investment assets of neighboring countries is not the policy of the NUG."

However, regarding the Tagaung Taung nickel factory, he added that the local PDF voluntarily carried out the attack because the Myanmar military sometimes uses foreign-invested factories as bases to attack civilians.

Minister Ei Mon reportedly told the Chinese side, "The NUG will ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future," but also said, "At the same time, overseas companies should distance themselves from the coup military regime."

Since the military coup on February 1 last year, China has regarded it as an internal affair and is effectively seen as the "backer" of the coup military regime. Anti-China sentiment has grown within Myanmar, and many Chinese-invested factories in industrial complexes in Yangon have become targets of arson.

At the end of February last year, the Chinese government met with the military and requested the safety of oil and gas pipelines. In response, Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader and Commander-in-Chief, promised protection for Chinese companies in an interview with a Hong Kong media outlet in May last year.