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Consulate attack highlights China’s ‘delicate’ balancing act in Myanmar

Harry October 27, 2024

One Attack on Chinese consulate Observers say Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, highlights the challenges Beijing faces in the war-torn country as it tries to find a balance between the ruling junta and the armed opposition.

No casualties were reported following the detonation of an explosive device that damaged the two-story Chinese consulate in central Mandalay on October 18, according to China’s foreign ministry.

Ahead of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to China next month, the explosion has renewed doubts about whether the military government can protect Chinese interests and assets amid an increasingly violent civil war, analysts say.

Beijing, one great ally and arms supplier MyanmarThe army, which is in close contact with rebel groups near its border, condemned the attack and lodged a “serious protest” with the junta.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Monday A call was made to Myanmar “To get to the bottom of the incident, to do our best to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice in accordance with the law… and to prevent similar incidents from happening again.”

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Myanmar’s military government has lost direct control of 86 percent of its territory after months of conflict

Details of the attack are sketchy and it remains unclear who was responsible. In a statement on Saturday, the junta blamed “terrorists” and said it was investigating in cooperation with consular officials.