China intends to establish closer ties with Myanmar military

Almaty. November 24. Silkroadnews - China intends to establish closer ties with the Myanmar military, The Japan Times reported.
“China wants closer ties with Myanmar’s military to help protect regional peace and security,” senior Chinese general Li Zuocheng said.
For years, as noted, China and Myanmar have had close diplomatic and economic ties, China supported its southern neighbor during the crisis with the Muslim minority of Rohingya.
In August, more than 600,000 Rohingya fled the Rakhine state following a military operation conducted by the Myanmar military in response to rebels’ attacks.
China intends to establish closer contacts between the two states’ armed forces, including training and technical exchange. Besides, to ensure peace and stability on the common border, China wants to promote cooperation in field of border protection.
Reportedly China was outraged by clashes between the Myanmar military and ethnic minority rebels near its border resulted in thousands of people fleeing from Myanmar into China.
The United States and other Western countries began more active interaction with Myanmar after the military began handing power to civilians in 2011, and especially after former democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won the elections in 2015. However, international protest against the violation of Myanmar’s Rohingya rights caused controversy in Western countries on continuation of such cooperation.
The non-governmental organization Amnesty International has called for a comprehensive arms embargo on Myanmar, as well as targeted financial sanctions against high-ranking Myanmar military.