China reiterates support to ASEAN role in Myanmar

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Friday said China will continue to support the work of ASEAN and play a constructive role regarding the current situation in Myanmar.

China is a close neighbor of Myanmar linked by mountains and rivers, and the situation in Myanmar is directly related to China's interests, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, during a Security Council meeting on Myanmar.

China has followed the development of the situation in Myanmar closely, actively engaged in the work of all parties in the country and participated constructively in the relevant discussions and consensus reached by the UN Security Council, the envoy said.

"China sincerely hopes that all parties in Myanmar will resolve their differences through political dialogue as soon as possible under the constitution and legal framework, avoid recurring violent incidents, restore national social stability as soon as possible, and restart the process of domestic democratic transition," Zhang said.

The ambassador pointed to a recent visit to Myanmar of a delegation led by Brunei's Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof and Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, which he said is "an important step in the implementation of the 'Five-Point Consensus'".

China expounded its stance on the current situation in Myanmar, and reached broad consensus with ASEAN, at the recent Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations, he said.

Myanmar is a member of ASEAN, and China supports the ASEAN in playing a constructive role in properly handling Myanmar's domestic issues and supports the gradual implementation of the "Five-Point Consensus" under the ASEAN framework, the envoy said.

"China will maintain close communication with ASEAN and will continue to play a more constructive role in its own way," Zhang added.

The current problem in Myanmar is a twist and turn in its own political transformation process. Fundamentally, it's the country's internal affairs, the ambassador pointed out. Whether it can be properly resolved in the end depends mainly on Myanmar.

"History has proved that blindly applying external pressure and sanctions on Myanmar will not work. It will also backfire and aggravate tension, ultimately hurting the people of Myanmar," he said.

"We hope that all parties will abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and respect Myanmar's sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and national unity. We should uphold an objective and fair attitude, support the efforts of regional countries, avoid unilateral sanctions and improper intervention, and create a favorable external environment for political reconciliation in Myanmar," Zhang added.