Beijing said it was “highly concerned” about the situation in Kyrgyzstan , which shares a border with China’s sensitive Xinjiang region, and warned against foreign interference as the government in Bishkek is rocked by protests over rigged elections . “China sincerely hopes that all parties in Kyrgyzstan will properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, adding that China hoped stability would be brought to Kyrgyzstan’s situation “as soon as possible”. She said China “firmly supports Kyrgyzstan maintaining independence” and resolutely opposed “external forces’ interference in Kyrgyzstan’s internal affairs”. Thousands gathered in the capital of Bishkek on Monday with protesters alleging vote rigging. Hundreds have been injured, and one protester was reportedly killed. Some protesters stormed Kyrgyzstan’s parliament building and set fire to the office of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who has been in office since November 2017. Sunday’s parliamentary vote in the Central Asian country was invalidated on Tuesday but no new election dates have been set and demonstrations continued. China has joined the European Union, Russia and the United States in calling for a peaceful resolution to the situation, although Beijing and Washington also warned that there should be no foreign interference in the country. “We call on all of Kyrgyzstan’s neighbours and international partners to refrain from violating its sovereignty during this delicate moment in its national history,” the US embassy in Bishkek said on Twitter on Wednesday. The warnings from China and the United States, however, are likely meant for each other, a sign of rising tension between Beijing and Washington , said James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “It’s likely that neither Beijing nor Washington are willing or able to meddle in the situation, though Beijing would like to see a halt to the instability quickly,” Dorsey said. But Beijing’s large economic footprint in Kyrgyzstan and security concerns with its neighbour bordering Xinjiang made China especially eager to see a quick end to instability in the country, Dorsey said. China is Kyrgyzstan’s biggest investor and largest trading partner, with bilateral trade at US$6.35 billion in 2019, according to Chinese government statistics. China’s embassy in Bishkek issued a notice to its citizens on Tuesday, calling on them to limit outdoor activities and to take safety precautions. The growing number of Chinese business interests and businesspeople in the country has led to suspicion from some in Kyrgyzstan. Last year, hundreds of anti-Chinese protesters rallied in Bishkek , protesting against China’s growing influence in the country, leading to the arrest of at least a dozen of people. “Kyrgyzstan, along with Kazakhstan, is home to the largest anti-Chinese sentiment in Central Asia,” Dorsey said, adding that it was driven in part by anger at Beijing’s treatment of Muslim Uygurs and members of other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang. Kyrgyzstan shares more than 1,000km (620 miles) of border with China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Uygurs have reportedly been held in Xinjiang camps , dubbed job retraining centres, by Beijing. Three Chinese embassy staff were wounded in a suicide bomber attack in 2016 , which Kyrgyzstan later blamed on Uygur militants.