China said Monday it was still "furthering our understanding of the situation" in Myanmar where the army Monday declared a one-year state of emergency.
Myanmar has detained senior government leaders - including de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi - for alleged voting fraud during November's general election.
Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior National League for Democracy party leaders were being held in the capital, Naypyidaw, on Monday. The army has allegedly cut telephone communications throughout the country, too.
The military has been unhappy with the outcome of November's elections in which Suu Kyi's party dominated while the military-backed party fared relatively poorly. The military is alleging voter fraud. Myanmar's new parliament was due to convene Monday for its first session.
China said: "China is a friendly neighbor of Myanmar and hopes the various parties in Myanmar will appropriately resolve their differences under the constitutional and legal framework to protect political and social stability," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
However, Myanmar's southern neighbor Thailand said: "It's their internal affairs," according to deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Cambodia and the Philippines made similar comments.
A video address broadcast on military-owned TV said the country was being led by commander in chief of the armed forces Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.
"With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup," Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the NLD, told the Agence France-Presse news agency Monday.
"The voter lists which were used during the multiparty general election which was held Nov. 8 were found to have huge discrepancies and the Union Election Commission failed to settle this matter," the army's statement said. "There was terrible fraud."
This has led to protests and other "kinds of provocations," the army said. "Therefore, the state of emergency is declared...The state of emergency is effective nationwide and the duration...is set for one year."
Thant Myint-U, a Myanmar historian and author, said the "doors just opened to a very different future...I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next."
The U.S. warned Myanmar's military it would "take action" if it proceeds with a coup against the country's civilian leaders.
Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne said: "We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully."
European Council President Charles Michel condemned the military's seizure and demanded the release of those detained in raids across the country. "The outcome of the elections has to be respected and democratic process needs to be restored," Michel said.
A Myanmar military coup would derail significant progress made toward democracy, experts said Monday and over this past weekend as developments unfolded.
The military handed power to civilians 10 years ago - after 50 years of rule - but retained control of many areas - including effectively running important ministries.
