During a visit to the China-Myanmar border area in Yunnan on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Qin Gang stressed the need to maintain stability in the region.
Yunnan Border Visit
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Qin’s trip included visits to the Jiegao Border, Mangman passage of the Wanding Port, the exhibit centre of Ruili Demonstration Area, and inspections of the border communities of “One Village, Two Countries.”
Qin said that Yunnan is at “the forefront of Myanmar-related work” and “plays a unique role” in promoting bilateral relations. To this end, he called for efforts to manage their shared border based on the rule of law and implementation of the National Land Boundary Law of China.
While doing research and survey work near the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan Province, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday stressed the need to fight cross-border crimes, promote bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges and speed up the building of a… pic.twitter.com/jESP7dnfoj
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 2, 2023
He added that cooperation between the government, military, police, and civilians must be improved to “strengthen border security, maintain the clarity of the boundary line and stability of the border area, and crack down on cross-border criminal activities.”
The diplomat also emphasised the efforts needed “to coordinate frontier management, border trade development and bilateral relations, promote regular border trade, and personnel exchanges” between both countries.
The FM recommended that both sides “keep as many ports of entry open as possible, accelerate the construction of cross-border economic cooperation zones, and push forward the building of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor with a focus on industrial capacity cooperation and industrial park construction, to help boost the economic and social development” on both sides of the border.
Qin suggested that Yunnan “leverage its unique advantage to do a good job in local foreign affairs” under the leadership of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, so as to “maintain peace and tranquility in the border area and safeguard the overall situation” of the two countries’ friendship.
Qin Gang said China is willing to strengthen communication with ministries and localities of Myanmar, and expand cooperation in agriculture, border trade and other fields. https://t.co/uhx23MAmdu pic.twitter.com/pnqmWYOvSU
— Chinese Mission to UN (@Chinamission2un) May 3, 2023
Myanmar Visit, SCO Meet in India
After his stop in Yunnan, Qin headed to Myanmar for a two-day visit, where he assured military chief Min Aung Hlaing that China “stands with Myanmar on the international stage.”
“China advocates that the international community should respect Myanmar’s sovereignty and play a constructive role in helping it achieving peace and reconciliation,” Qin asserted.
After Myanmar, the Chinese FM will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) FM meeting in Goa, India from Thursday to Friday.