Myanmar coup: China blocked UN condemnation

China has blocked a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the military coup in Myanmar, reports BBC.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Myanmar on Tuesday but was unable to agree on a statement about the country's military coup.

Why did China block the UN action?

Both Russia and China have protected Myanmar against criticism at the UN regarding military crackdown on the Rohingya population, BBC reports.

Beijing has also warned that sanctions or international pressure following the coup would only make things worse.

"Beijing's stance on the situation is consistent with its overall skepticism of international intervention," Sebastian Strangio, author and Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat told the BBC. He also stated that while China strategically benefits when Myanmar is alienated from the West, it does not necessarily indicate Beijing is happy with the coup.

"They had a pretty good arrangement with the NLD and invested a lot to build a relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi. The return of the military actually means that China now has to deal with the institution in Myanmar that historically is the most suspicious of China's intentions," Sebastian was quoted by BBC.