BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China actively facilitates Myanmar's effort to advance the peace process in northern Myanmar in light of the will and aspirations of relevant parties in Myanmar, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Tuesday.

Guo's remarks came after Myanmar's ethnic armed group Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) withdrew from the urban areas of Lashio of the Shan State early Tuesday morning and handed control back to Tatmadaw. Sources say that the handover was brokered by China and China has sent a ceasefire monitoring group to Lashio recently.

"China and Myanmar are traditional friendly neighbors," Guo told a daily news briefing, adding that to keep northern Myanmar peaceful and stable is in the interest of the two countries and peoples.

Guo said that China respects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and actively facilitates Myanmar's effort to advance the peace process in northern Myanmar in light of the will and aspirations of relevant parties in Myanmar.

To deliver on the common understandings reached at the peace talks in Kunming between the Myanmar government and ethnic armed organization MNDAA, at their joint invitation, China has recently sent a ceasefire monitoring group to Lashio to oversee the ceasefire between Tatmadaw and the MNDAA and witnessed the smooth handover of the urban areas of Lashio, Guo said.

Both parties commended and thanked China for its constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in northern Myanmar, noted Guo.

"China will continue pushing forward the Kunming peace talks process and doing its part in ending the conflict and promoting peace talks to ensure peace and stability along the China-Myanmar border together with the parties in Myanmar," said the spokesperson.