Beijing is watching. China began military exercises this Saturday along its border with Burma, while that country is in the grip of internal fighting. For the past month, an alliance of several insurgent movements representing ethnic minorities has launched a major offensive against the army in regions close to the Chinese border. These rebels seized dozens of military positions and a strategic city for trade with China. Clashes have intensified, particularly in large areas of the north of the Burmese state of Shan, near the Chinese border, locally forcing more than 80,000 people to leave their homes according to the UN.
In this context, the Chinese army launched “real combat exercises” along the border with Burma, its Southern Command said in a statement on Saturday, which did not specify either the duration of the operations or the number of soldiers involved. . These exercises aim to “test the troops’ ability […] to control and close the borders and to strike with firepower”, underlines the army, ensuring that it is “ready to respond to all kinds of emergencies”.
Chinese nationals called to leave the area “as quickly as possible”
China informed the Burmese army of these exercises, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said on Saturday. On Friday, junta-backed Myanmar media said opponents of the regular army had used drones to drop bombs on vehicles in Muse, a border town. The attack, which took place on Thursday, destroyed 120 vehicles “transporting household goods, consumer goods, clothing and construction materials”, according to the Global New Light of Myanmara state media outlet.
A significant part of trade with China passes precisely through this zone. Its blockage for several weeks has deprived the army of liquidity, which has become precious in an economy that has broken down since the 2021 coup. In view of the deterioration of the security situation, China on Friday called on its nationals to leave “at most quickly » the north of Burma and to stay away from the fighting.