China is responding cautiously to the military coup in neighboring Myanmar, with state-controlled media in Beijing reporting that Chinese officials are still gathering information after commanders in Myanmar declared a “1-year state of emergency.”
While the Biden administration in Washington called Sunday night for the release of civilian leaders arrested by the military in Myanmar, the response from Chinese leaders was notably more muted on Monday.
“We noticed what’s happening in Myanmar, and we’re [gathering] more information,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing, according to a translation posted on Twitter by China’s official Xinhua news agency.
“China is Myanmar’s friendly neighbor,” Mr. Wang said. “We hope all sides in Myanmar can properly manage their differences under the constitution and legal framework to uphold political and social stability.”
The comments came in contrast to a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who expressed alarm Sunday night at the detention of civilian leaders in Myanmar, including former Nobel Peace Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of what had been her ruling National League for Democracy party.
Mrs. Suu Kyi was once a darling of Western diplomatic circles, where she was celebrated as a human rights activist. But she has faced international criticism in recent years for failing to stand up firmly against the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
Her global notoriety is likely to draw attention to the developments in Myanmar, where military television announced Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year and that Mrs. Suu Kyi and others had been detained. The actions came on the same day Myanmar’s Parliament was slated to convene with new members sworn in following November elections.
“We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8,” Mr. Blinken said in a statement circulated by the State Department. “The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately.”
The difference in reaction between Beijing and Washington came amid speculation Monday that China may be frustrated by the coup in Myanmar.
A report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper maintained that Mr. Wang refused to discuss whether China, which has substantial oil and gas interests in Myanmar, had warned Myanmar’s military leaders against the idea of carrying out a coup when the Chinese foreign minister met with them last month.
The Guardian noted that the meeting between Myanmar’s military chief, Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who has now assumed power, and China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, occurred after a proxy political party tied to Myanmar‘s military had faced a heavy defeat at the polls in Myanmar’s recent elections.
During the meeting, the paper reported, Gen. Min set out claims that the November election had been fraudulent, citing irregularities that echoed many of the claims former President Donald Trump had about his own November election defeat.
The Guardian cited Champa Patel, the director of the Asia-Pacific Program at the Chatham House think tank in London, as suggesting Beijing is likely frustrated by the coup in Myanmar.
“China will not welcome news of the coup,” said Ms. Patel, who added that Beijing has “warm relations with [Aung San Suu Kyi] that have deepened as western countries criticized her civilian government’s response to the Rohingya crisis.”
“The military, on the other hand, is perceived as having a more independent streak that sought to balance against Chinese influence,” Ms. Patel said, according to The Guardian.
Other analysts characterized Monday’s developments as a blow to the fragile pursuit of democracy in Myanmar.
“The military’s coup, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, comes after several months of legal challenges alleging fraud in the November elections,” said Lucas Myers of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington.
“It indicates the military’s dissatisfaction with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and its continued attempts to minimize the military’s influence,” Mr. Lucas said in comments circulated to reporters on Monday. “Overall, the coup should be viewed as a setback for Myanmar’s already troubled democratic transition.”
“The military is promising elections in a year, but my sense is that … the military will likely be reluctant to give up power again,” Mr. Lucas added.