China said Thursday that clashes between the Myanmar army and ethnic minorities in recent weeks have led to more than 20,000 people from northwestern Myanmar crossing into Chinese territory. "Out of humanitarian reasons we have provided necessary assistance to them and have taken effective measures to ensure order of the border areas," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
He urged the parties involved to exercise restraint and take effective and serious measures to restore peace and stability to the region. "We support the peace process and hope relevant parties will solve their differences through diplomatic means, dialogue and consultation to ensure peace in this area," Geng said.
China is also concerned over stray bullets and artillery shells that fall on its territory, which have so far wounded one Chinese citizen and damaged several properties along the border, the spokesperson said.
Fighting has been taking place in the same region as clashes in 2015 between authorities and an alliance of several armed groups, causing the deaths of nearly 160 people and forcing thousands to flee to China.
The Myanmar government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi plans to organise a conference later this month to sign a peace treaty with ethnic minorities, seeking to end more than six decades of civil conflict.
The guerrillas urge a fresh ceasefire, the formation of a federal union giving autonomy to ethnic minorities and the end of military operations in these regions.
