Following last week's labor unrest in the Letpadaung mine in Myanmar, China on Monday said that Chinese companies operating abroad must respect local laws and fulfill them.        

"The Chinese government has consistently demanded that Chinese companies investing abroad respect the laws and rules of the host nation, and fulfill their responsibility and obligation to society, including paying attention to protecting the environment," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

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Last week, workers at a copper mine in Letpadaung operated jointly by a Chinese company and the Myanmar government staged protests. The protesting workers alleged that the company had indulged in land grab and offered poor financial compensation to workers.          

According to local media reports, the protest gathered stem on Wednesday when several demonstrators broke police barriers and entered the mining site. Since then, the number of protesting workers has swelled.

This is the first major labor unrest facing Suu Kyi's government, which came into power last year after a landslide victory in the polls in 2015. Last week's labor unrest also comes shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Myanmar last month.

One of the main agendas of Wang's visit was to resolve a host of business disagreements that recently started taking a toll on the Sino-Myanmar relationship.

Letpadaung Copper Mine Has History of Labor unrest

Letpadaung Copper Mine has been dogged by labor protest against Chinese mining companies for several years now. The first major protest took place in 2012 when workers accused Chinese companies of land grab and poor financial compensation.

Labor unrest had also flared up in a Letpadaung Copper Mine in 2014. The constant labor protest in Letpadaung region has stroked anti-Chinese sentiments in Myanmar over the years.

TagsMyanmar, china, China and Myanmar, Letpadaung Copper mine, Letpadaung Mine Protest