Politics

US and China accuse each other over policy in Myanmar and Asia

Yangon, Myanmar, Jul 19 (efe-epa).- The United States and China have accused each other of pursuing an unethical and aggressive foreign policy in Myanmar and Asia, including the South China Sea.

The diplomatic dispute began when George Sibley, chargé d’affaires at the United States Embassy in Myanmar, accused Beijing of undermining Myanmar’s sovereignty and exploiting the country’s natural resources, including fishing and mining.

He also claimed that about 80 percent of human trafficking cases in Myanmar involve women from the country being smuggled into China to be exploited and sexually abused.

“Law enforcement in China often looks the other way and fails to help these vulnerable victims,” he wrote in an article published on Saturday.

“The United States continues to partner with Myanmar authorities to strengthen Myanmar’s capacity to prevent human trafficking.”

The US diplomat said the Chinese government has taken advantage of the pandemic to “aggressively crack down” on democracy in Hong Kong and also the sovereignty of southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea.

“These events are taking place far from Myanmar, but the PRC (People’s Republic of China) has used similar behavior to intimidate, threaten, and undermine Myanmar sovereignty closer to home,” Sibley added.

The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar replied in a statement from an unnamed spokesperson on Sunday that Washington has shown its “selfish, hypocritical, contemptible and ugly face” to undermine China’s reputation.

“It ignores international ethics and legal norms, disregards the common interests of mankind and international trends, and has done a lot of disgusting things,” it added.

The Chinese Embassy accused the US of acting with an “outdated Cold War mindset” and breaching “basic norms” of international relations.

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