China denies helping Myanmar coup after pro-democracy protests outside embassy
- The country’s ambassador Chen Hai told local media that Beijing had no prior knowledge of the takeover
- The country’s armed forces have annulled the result of November’s election and detained key civilian leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi
China’s ambassador to Myanmar has dismissed rumours that Beijing was assisting a military coup in its southeast Asian neighbour, days after hundreds of pro-democracy protesters demonstrated outside the Chinese embassy.
Ambassador Chen Hai told a group of local media outlets on Monday that Beijing had no “prior knowledge” of the coup and insisted rumours it was helping the military junta set up a firewall to prevent protesters from organising online were “laughable”. The ambassador’s interview was posted on the embassy’s website on Tuesday.
“We have friendly relations with both the NLD and the military. The current situation is absolutely not what China wants to see,” said Chen.
03:08
Myanmar protesters return to streets as military tightens grip
This was the closest Beijing has come to criticising the current unrest that has gripped one of China’s most important partners in Southeast Asia. No other country has more infrastructure investments in Myanmar than China, which regards its southeast Asian neighbour as a key part of its strategic goal of avoiding being encircled by US allies.
While the international community has rushed to condemn the coup, China and Russia used their veto power as permanent members of the UN Security Council to block a joint statement condemning the military junta.