China said Tuesday it had lodged an official complaint with Myanmar after two soldiers illegally crossed the border into southwest China and shot dead a local resident earlier this year.

It was the first time Beijing has commented on the Jan. 12 incident along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan province.

“The Chinese side lodged solemn representations with the Myanmar side asking it to find out the truth, punish the perpetrators and compensate the bereaved families,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a regular briefing.

“The Myanmar side said it paid attention to the representations and is stepping up investigations.”

沪江英语快讯：2012年3月13日，外交部发言人刘为民主持召开外交部例行记者会。会上，外交部首次对发生在今年1月12日的两名缅甸政府军士兵非法进入中国云南省德宏州境内，将一名中国公民杀害的事件进行了通报，强烈谴责该报复行为欺人太甚。中国政府已向缅甸方面提出严正交涉，要求严处凶手，以免触及中缅友好关系。