Beijing speaks out about artillery shells from Myanmar flying into China

Bắc Kinh lên tiếng vụ đạn pháo từ Myanmar bay lạc sang Trung Quốc - 1 — Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin (Photo: Getty).

China has again called for a ceasefire in northern Myanmar after five people were injured by stray shells from the Southeast Asian country that landed across the border during months of fighting between Myanmar's military government and rebel forces.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on January 4 that Beijing "strongly opposes" the incident, adding that China will do what is necessary to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

"We have sent strong messages of protest to relevant parties and we once again demand that all parties in the conflict immediately stop fighting and take concrete actions to avoid similar horrific incidents disrupting the tranquility of the China-Myanmar border," Mr. Wang said.

The incident occurred on January 3 when artillery shells fired from northern Myanmar hit Nansan, a town in Yunnan province, about 2.5 kilometers from the border. Five people were injured in the incident and are being treated in hospital.

A resident of the town said his office windows were shattered in the blast, while a nearby mobile phone shop was badly damaged.

"I ran out of the office after hearing the explosion. I clearly saw a hole in front of a mobile phone shop and the explosion slightly injured a delivery man and a local resident. Then I saw three other people being taken to an ambulance," said the unnamed witness.

He added that the ceiling of the mobile phone store had collapsed and the walls were riddled with holes.

A shop owner living nearby said: "We are very scared of the incident and worried about our safety. We just want to live safely and not become victims of cross-border conflicts."

Myanmar's military government is facing its most serious challenge since taking power in a coup in 2021.

Fighting in northern Myanmar began in late October, when a coalition of three rebel forces representing different ethnic groups launched an attack against government forces in Shan state.

China has previously called on all sides to stop fighting and is in talks with both sides to reach a ceasefire.

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