China refuses to condemn Burma over Rohingya crisis and says foreign intervention does not work

'China will be affected if there's any unstable situation in Myanmar,' says senior official

A Rohingya refugee child washes utensil in the in the Balukhali refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (REUTERS)

China has refused to condemn the government in Burma over the Rohingya crisis and claimed foreign intervention does not work.

The international community has widely condemned the military response to an incursion by Rohingya militants, which has seen around 600,000 refugees flee from Burma into neighbouring Bangladesh.

China, a powerful neighbour to Burma, said it supported the country’s efforts in "safeguarding peace and stability".

Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the China’s International Department, said Beijing condemns "violence and terror acts", apparently referring to the Rohingya militant attacks that sparked the Burmese military “clearing operation”.

But numerous Rohingya refugees have described being subject to horrific violence, including against unarmed men, women and children, which the UN has described as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

Without citing examples, Mr Guo said: “Based on experience, you can see recently the consequences when one country interferes in another. We won’t do it.”

China supports "Myanmar's efforts in safeguarding peace and stability in this region and hoped all areas, including Rakhine state, will realise peace, stability and development," Mr Guo told reporters at the Communist Party National Congress.

He added: "China and Myanmar are friendly neighbouring countries joined by rivers and mountains. China will be affected if there's any unstable situation in Myanmar."

The two countries are also connected by an oil pipeline, which supplies China's landlocked Yunnan province. The 479-mile pipeline starts at the Bay of Bengal in Rakhine state in western Burma.

China has consistently argued against intervention or condemnation of Burma, in contrast to Western states that have discussed the prospect of sanctions.

At a UN Security Council meeting last month, Britain, France and the United States demanded an end to what they called ethnic cleansing, while China's ambassador called for patience.

Additional reporting by agencies