Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai met three junta ministers in Naypyitaw on Thursday amid heavy fighting in Rakhine State, where China is implementing a deep seaport and a special economic zone project, and continued fighting in northern Shan State near the Chinese border despite a China-brokered ceasefire.
Chen held separate talks with junta Foreign Minister Than Swe, Minister of State Administration Council Chairman’s Office No. 2 Aung Naing Oo and Border Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung, mainly focusing on border stability and China-invested mega projects in Myanmar.
Chen’s trip to Naypyitaw follows the Brotherhood Alliance’s accusation that the regime is violating the China-brokered ceasefire in northern Shan State.
The alliance—which comprises the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army—launched an offensive, known as Operation 1027, in late October last year vowing to uproot the military dictatorship and eradicate online scam operations on the Myanmar-China border. The two sides agreed a temporary ceasefire brokered by China in the second week of January.
Meanwhile, the Kachin Independence Army recently captured a junta base in Nam Hpat Kar Village in Kutkai Township. The base is crucial for control of the Lashio-Muse road, a key route for border trade with China, the country’s biggest trading partner.
The Shan Human Rights Foundation, a nongovernmental organization monitoring human rights violations in Shan State, reported on Tuesday that 10 civilians were killed and 14 injured in clashes along the China-backed oil and gas pipelines in northern Shan State.
The AA is fighting the regime in Rakhine State, where China is implementing a deep seaport and a special economic zone as part of its wider Belt and Road Initiative.
Aung Naing Oo, whom Chen met on Thursday, is the chair of a working committee to manage special economic zones in Myanmar. When the committee met on Jan. 17, he urged relevant ministries to finish the necessary infrastructure for the special economic zone project on schedule in Kyaukphyu. But fighting is escalating in many parts of Rakhine, including Ramree, which borders Kyaukphyu.
Chen and Tun Tun Naung discussed continued cooperation on border stability and development in line with existing agreements, as well as the repatriation of displaced people, according to junta media, which avoided using the word “Rohingya”.
The Chinese Embassy reported that Chen pushed for greater cooperation in implementing China-Myanmar projects, ensuring border stability and combating cybercrimes at the border.
An addendum to the concession agreement on the Kyaukphyu deep seaport was signed in late December, as the regime was desperate for help from China.
