Speaking to the press just before his departure to Beijing, Mr. Gambari said China has been quite helpful in terms of the good offices role of the Secretary-General, adding that Beijing had encouraged Myanmar’s authorities to receive him at the height of the crisis.

“I am going to Beijing to acknowledge what they have done but also to encourage them to do more in delivering on the big issues – faster rate of democratization, greater respect of human rights and also in addressing the root causes of discontent, both in terms of social, economic and also of a political nature,” he said.

Mr. Gambari also stressed that the UN is counting on China and other regional partners to help the Organization work with the Government of Myanmar to achieve results sooner than later.

While in Beijing, Mr. Gambari is scheduled to meet with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei.

His visit to China is part of consultations with regional leaders on how to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, and follows talks with officials in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.

After Beijing, the Special Envoy will travel to Tokyo for consultations with Japanese counterparts. He expects to be able to visit Myanmar in the first week of November.