China, Myanmar to settle dam issue: ambassador

Updated: 2011-10-21 22:33

(Xinhua)

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YANGON - "China and Myanmar have established comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the two countries will continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in respective sectors," Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Li Junhua told Xinhua in a written interview Thursday following Myanmar's ordered suspension of the Myitsone hydropower project invested by a Chinese company.

In response to concern over China-Myanmar relations arising out of the issue, Li said, "There emerged twists and turns with the two countries' cooperation project for recent time bringing impact on the legal rights with Chinese enterprise. The two sides are willing to properly settle the issue through coordination based on the spirit of mutual respect and equality and mutual interest."

Li recalled that China and Myanmar are close neighbors having a history of exchange for more than a thousand years with the two country's peoples enjoying long-standing "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship. For over 60 years after China established diplomatic relations with Myanmar, the two countries have maintained close links and cooperation in political, economic and cultural spheres.

He noted that China-Myanmar relations have stood the test of history and maintained and pushed equal and mutually beneficial cooperation that conforms to the common and long-term interest of the two peoples.

He also said no matter in the past or in the future, China always understands and supports Myanmar in independently choosing its own path of development, supports Myanmar in safeguarding the country's sovereignty, developing economy, improving people's life as well as its national reconciliation and democratic process.

Three major Myanmar state newspapers - The New Light of Myanmar, Myanma Alin and the Mirror recently carried named articles with regard to the Myitsone hydropower project issue, saying that the issue would not affect the China-Myanmar relations.

The articles criticized that some media reports and comments were aimed at harming bilateral ties, stressing that China-Myanmar friendship has a long history and such friendship is unbreakable.