China says negotiating stakeholders in Myanmar

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Hours before the UN Security Council meeting to discuss the military takeover in Myanmar, China said Tuesday it was "negotiating with all parties involved."

"Any move made by the international community should help Myanmar bring political and social stability… help find a peaceful solution and avoid further conflict," China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news conference in Beijing.

Wang was referring to the UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar scheduled for today, Chinese daily Global Times reported.

"China is negotiating with all parties involved," he added.

On Monday, Myanmar's military declared a state of emergency hours after detaining President Win Myint, de facto leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

The coup took place a few hours before the first session of the country's new parliament was set to convene following the November elections in which Suu Kyi's ruling party made sweeping gains.

The military claimed the coup was staged due to "election fraud" in the polls that it said resulted in the dominance of the NLD in parliament.