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China asks its state firms in Myanmar to evacuate non-essential staff: Report 

WION Web Team
BeijingUpdated: Mar 17, 2021, 09:25 PM IST
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Chinese economy needs a kickstart Photograph:(AFP)

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China has told its state firms to evacuate non-essential staff from Myanmar after dozens of Chinese-run factories were attacked on Sunday, amid rising anti-China sentiment, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday

China has asked its state firms in Myanmar to evacuate non-essential staff following attacks on Chinese factories and businesses by anti-coup protesters, who accused Beijing of backing the military junta that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi last month. 

China has told its state firms to evacuate non-essential staff from Myanmar after dozens of Chinese-run factories were attacked on Sunday, amid rising anti-China sentiment, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday. 

China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) in a notice ordered state-owned enterprises in Myanmar to evacuate staff involved in projects that had come to a halt. 

Other staff to be pulled out of the neighbouring country include those who have reached the end of their rotations, workers who have not yet been inoculated against the coronavirus, employees living on remote sites and those facing serious local situations, according to the notice. 

Asked about reports of evacuation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian during a media briefing here on Wednesday said that China is following the situation in Myanmar closely and attach importance to the safety of our institutes and personnel in Myanmar. 

"We hope the Myanmar side will take concrete measures and take more vigorous actions to ensure their safety," he said. 

A state construction firm employee working on an infrastructure project in Myanmar confirmed to the daily that he had received the instructions from SASAC, which oversees 90 national-level SOEs in China. 

"We received it over the weekend when some Chinese-invested factories were attacked," a source was quoted as saying. 

"In fact, almost all projects have already stopped here. We are discussing who shall stay back to watch developments. I think most of us will head home as nothing much can be done," he said. 

According to state-run Global Times, 32 Chinese factories have been vandalised in the attacks in Yangon. The property loss was estimated to be about 240 million yuan (USD 36.89 million), the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar told the Global Times on Monday. 

(With inputs from agencies)