China on Saturday said it supports Myanmar in “safeguarding peace and stability” in the country and will not join other nations in condemning the alleged “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims, AP reported. Beijing said it understands, from experience, that foreign interference during crises does not work.

Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the Communist Party of China’s International Department, said China condemns the violence that broke out in Rakhine state, but also believes that the Myanmar government is capable of handling the situation without any outside help.

“China and Myanmar are friendly neighboring countries joined by rivers and mountains,” Guo said on the sidelines of a party meeting, according to AP. “China will be affected if there’s any instable situation in Myanmar. Based on experience, you can see recently the consequences when one country interferes in another. We won’t do it.”

More than five lakh Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the Myanmar security forces launched an operation in response to alleged attacks by militants on August 25 against 30 police posts and a regimental headquarters. On October 11, the United Nations Human Rights office said the brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state were aimed at preventing them from returning to their homes. The attacks were “well-organised, coordinated and systematic”, the report said.