In Myanmar, where the armed forces took control in a coup d’etat, the contents of a private meeting with China were leaked, and two Myanmar Foreign Ministry officials who were allegedly involved were detained by the 12th.
According to local media ‘Irrawaddy’ reported, this meeting was held online in late February after the coup d’etat. At a meeting with the Armed Forces, the Chinese side emphasized the strategic importance of the inland natural gas and crude oil pipeline connecting Yunnan Province and Kyaukpyu in western Myanmar and called for stronger security.
Some demonstrators opposed China, which insisted on a pipeline attack to send resources to China and China was on the alert.
China attaches great importance to a pipeline that allows crude oil to be procured by land from the Middle East, etc. via Myanmar, without going through the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, where the United States has a strong influence.
At the meeting, the Chinese side also demanded pressure on the domestic media to curb anti-Chinese sentiment in Myanmar. The statement on the part of the armed forces has not been clarified. The detained staff are said to have been in charge of preparing the minutes, but it is unknown whether the contents of the meeting were actually leaked to the outside.
In Myanmar, the opposition to China, which avoids criticism of the armed forces, is expanding. Protests have taken place near the Chinese embassy in Yangon, the largest city, and there are calls for non-buying of Chinese products. According to local media, security forces shot at demonstrators on the 11th, killing 12 people. Eight people were killed in Central Myanmar.
