Thailand: Chinese embassy responds after demonstrators protest cross-border river pollution linked to mining for China
"Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’", Mongabay, 8 Jun 2026
The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok provided a statement on the pollution issue from the embassy’s spokesperson on May 31.
“We have noted that recent test reports released by the Thai government and relevant authorities show that the water quality of the river meets safety standards in general,” the statement said. “China has been supporting both Thailand and Myanmar in strengthening communication and coordination, conducting investigations in an objective, scientific and responsible manner, and resolving the issue through friendly consultation.”
Thai netizens took to Facebook to criticize the embassy’s statement, noting that China’s demand for rare earth elements is fueling the mining operations that have poisoned Thai rivers.
Questions sent by Mongabay to the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok regarding the peace walk and China’s role in the mineral trade with Myanmar went unanswered.
On June 5, the embassy posted on its official Facebook page acknowledging the demonstrators’ walk to Chiang Rai, noting that a collaborative team is being formed between Myanmar and Thailand to address the water pollution via a joint audit.
“The Chinese government has always placed utmost importance on protecting the environment and ecosystem,” the embassy’s post read. “Not only is it committed to domestic green development, but also requires Chinese enterprises stepping out into the global market to give utmost importance to protecting and complying with environmental regulations.”
The embassy added that Chinese business will not sacrifice the environment for economic gain and that violations will be taken seriously.