China supports Myanmar despite Rohingya genocide accusations

China’s president Xi Jinping expressed his support for Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is accused of overseeing a genocide against Rohingya Muslims.
During a meeting in Myanmar with Suu Kyi, Xi signed 33 infrastructure and trade deals between the two countries, a move that makes China Myanmar’s largest investor. According to Myanmar’s state-run media, Xi called his visit a “historical moment” for their bilateral relations.
Suu Kyi, a 74-year-old Nobel peace laureate, was once seen on the same level as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. Her reputation has been damaged however, when she defended her country against a genocide complaint at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. She said that Myanmar was defending itself against attacks by militants.
The country denounces claims that it tried to exterminate the minority in a bloody 2017 crackdown by its military, during which some 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into camps in Bangladesh. Next week the court will rule on whether “emergency measures” should be taken against Myanmar.
China said it “firmly supports Myanmar’s efforts to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests and national dignity in the international arena”.
The move angered the West, who blames both countries for human rights violations. Analysts say that the lack of transparency surrounding the agreements will lead to mistrust and a backlash.
“It goes without saying that a neighbouring country has no other choice, but to stand together till the end of the world”, Suu Kyi said.
Suu Kyi, nicknamed “The Lady”, is the daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero Aung San. She spent 15 years under house arrest when a military junta ruled Myanmar. The army freed her in 2010, and she led her party to victory in 2015 elections.