The Chinese Consulate in Mandalay was allegedly attacked with a hand grenade on Friday evening.
The area around the 73rd Street consulate in Chanmyathazi Township was later cordoned off.
A junta officer in Mandalay said a grenade landed on the consulate roof but gave no other details.
On Saturday, the regime announced that an explosion occurred on the roof of the Chinese Consulate at around 4 p.m. on Friday, saying there were no casualties and no property damage. It added security personnel are conducting an investigation and would arrest the responsible “terrorists”, and that it had beefed up security in response.
Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) denounced the attack on the consulate in a statement on Saturday, adding that it condemned any action damaging the image of neighboring countries or causing racial and religious conflict.
A former political prisoner from Mandalay said: “The Chinese Consulate is always tightly secured with the entrance almost always closed. Half of the road near the consulate is blocked off by barriers with very tall walls.”
The newly appointed Chinese consul-general, Gao Ping, took office in August. It was recently announced that junta leader Min Aung Hlaing will visit China, his first since the 2021 coup.
Anti-China protests have taken place in Mandalay, Yangon and other cities organized by regime-backed nationalist groups and military supporters, alleging that China is backing the Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State.
After the protests, Chinese special envoy to Myanmar Deng Xijun met Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw. Later Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told the junta chief that China opposed any acts that incite civil war or internal strife in Myanmar.
Min Aung Hlaing asked for help to stop Brotherhood Alliance advances and promised to protect Chinese projects and staff in Myanmar.
Most of the major trade routes with China, as well as the northern Shan State capital, Lashio, and Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative investments are in anti-regime hands.
The story was updated on Oct. 21 to add the junta’s announcement of the explosion and the NUG’s statement on the attack.
