The document backed by the US, Great Britain and France called for the restoration of democracy and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Moscow in support of Chinese. China woos the Naypyidaw Armed Forces. Fears in the West that Myanmar will fall into the Chinese orbit.
New York (AsiaNews / Agencies) - China yesterday blocked a declaration at the United Nations condemning the military coup in Myanmar.
On February 1, the Naypyidaw military took control of the country . Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the civilian government, and hundreds of members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) are under arrest.
General Min Aung Hlaing, commander of the army, cancelled the recent elections won by the NLD, decreed a state of emergency for a year and formed a new executive.
In an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Beijing rejected the document prepared by Great Britain and supported by the United States and France.
It called for the restoration of civil authority, the release of democratic leaders and the cancellation of the state of emergency, but not the imposition of sanctions. As a permanent member of the body, China has the right to veto its decisions. Russia has also censored discussion of the military coup in Myanmar.
Several humanitarian organizations are calling for targeted sanctions against coup generals, who ended a democratic transition that began 10 years ago. The US has announced the blocking of humanitarian aid to Naypyidaw.
Joe Biden has ordered his administration to review the Myanmar policy. Without the restitution of power to the Suu Kyi government, the new US president will re-establish the sanctions that Washington cancelled or softened after the start of the democratic transition in 2011.
Japan, however, invites Washington not to close the channels of communication with the military junta. According to the Japanese Deputy Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama, a policy of sanctions and total closure will bring Myanmar even more into alignment with China, strengthening the geopolitical position of the Asian giant in the region.
China said it has taken note of what is happening in Myanmar. Beijing has urged stakeholders to "resolve the differences" so that stability is ensured. Some Chinese media have dismissed the crisis as a "government reshuffle".
The regime has great interests in the neighbouring country, considered an alternative crossing point to the Strait of Malacca for gas and oil imported from Africa and the Middle East.
According to analysts, the Chinese regime had established good relations with Suu Kyi and now wants to maintain an open channel with the Naypyidaw military, with whom they have had moments of tense relations in the past.