China vows to respect Myanmar’s sovereignty

The Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday vowed to respect Myanmar’s national sovereignty and independence, in response to reports that a Chinese bank had suspended the account of an ethnic armed group in Myanmar.

“I am not aware of that,” Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a daily briefing, when responding to the question whether Chinese government demanded that China’s State- owned lender Agricultural Bank of China suspend the account at the request of the Myanmar side.

“Adhering to the principle of non- interference in the internal affairs of other countries, we respect Myanmar’s national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” Hua said.

“We will never allow any organization or individual to sabotage China- Myanmar relations on Chinese territory and destabilize the border. Any violation of regulations and laws will be handled in accordance with law,” she added.

“We appreciated this action [ of account closure]. Stability and peace in the border area is the common interest of both sides,” Myanmar’s presidential spokesman, Zaw Htay, told Reuters. “[ It was a] very positive move from China.”