Beijing working on ceasefire in Rakhine: Chinese envoy

Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen has said that Beijing is working for a ceasefire in Myanmar's Rakhine state, which will eventually pave the way for Rohingya repatriation.

"You must be aware that under Chinese mediation we wish to have a ceasefire in the Rakhine state," he told reporters after a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today.

The ambassador said China already had three ceasefire deals in Myanmar during the ongoing conflicts in different parts of the country.

"Myanmar government already has three ceasefire agreements. We wish to have another ceasefire in the Rakhine state so that the mediation process for the repatriation can be started," he said.

He urged all to remain "confident" of the joint collaboration by Bangladesh, Myanmar and China to return Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar, where more than a million Rohingyas took shelter after fleeing military crackdowns in the Rakhine over the decades, mostly in 2017.

Speaking about his first meeting with the new foreign minister, Yao Wen said they discussed the current status and future of the China-Bangladesh relationship.

He said they also discussed the Rohingya repatriation issue.

"We understand now we face some difficulties," he said, adding that the repatriation will contribute to regional peace and security.

More than a dozen Rohingya were killed amid fighting between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military in the Rakhine state since Thursday, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, replying to a question on the Teesta project, the ambassador said, "China is committed as long as we got the proposal from the Bangladesh side. We continue to engage with the Bangladesh side."