AKIPRESS.COM - Beijing has launched a diplomatic protest after Myanmar handed down more than 150 life sentences to Chinese nationals for illegal logging near the countries' shared border.

The mass sentencing, which sparked outraged editorials in the Chinese media, came after the loggers were arrested in January during a crackdown on illegal forestry activities in northern Kachin state, ABC reports Thursday.

A Myanmar court official in Kachin said 153 Chinese loggers had been jailed for life, adding that a further two males under 18 were handed reduced 10-year sentences without giving details.

Life imprisonment in Myanmar is equivalent to 20 years, according to legal experts.

It is the latest spat to sully ties between the two countries.