China appears to have rejected calls to support sanctions or other pressure on Burma's military government, as the U.N. special envoy completed a two-day visit to Beijing.
In a statement released after Thursday's meeting with envoy Ibrahim Gambari, state councillor Tang Jianxuan stated China's support for talk, rather than sanctions, as the best approach.
He also said Burma's political crisis must ultimately be resolved by its own people and government.
Gambari also met Thursday with vice foreign minister Wang Yi, before leaving for Japan. Speaking ahead of the meeting, Wang Yi said China would continue to support Gambari as he tries to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
In an unusual move, earlier in the day, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years, met with a Burmese government official.
Officials say she left her home Thursday to meet with Burma's labor minister, Aung Kyi, for about an hour. No details have been released about the meeting.
Gambari has said he hopes to meet again with Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's top military leader, General Than Shwe, during his visit to Burma in early November.
International pressure on the Burmese government has been mounting since its bloody crackdown and continued repression of pro-democracy protesters.
