Chinese People’s Libration Army concluded military exercise near Myanmar border

Yangon, 29 August 2024

The PLA Chinese army concluded three days of live fire exercise near Myanmar border where bitter fightings between Myanmar army and Myanmar rebel alliance of ethnic-Chinese drug cartels raging on since 27 October, 2024.

The joint air and ground military exercise along southern Yunnan Province’s border with Myanmar come as an alliance of three China-based Myanmar rebel factions has pushed forces controlled by Myanmar’s ruling military junta out of major towns in Shan state. Last week, the Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, another China-based rebels took control of a strategically important Momauk township in neighboring Kachin state on the border with China.

The Myanmar junta has responded with airstrikes that have unsettled Beijing, prompting China to fire warning shots at Myanmar fighter jets. In a statement on Tuesday, China’s defense ministry said live-fire drills are being conducted in four locations outside of Ruili city in Yunnan province, along the border with Myanmar’s northern and eastern Shan state to test the military’s “multidimensional blockade and joint firepower strike” capabilities, as well to “maintain border security and stability.”

The so-called Northern Alliance Rebels or Northern Brotherhoods comprised of 3 rebel functions called MNDAA (Myanmar citizen Chinese drug cartel), TNLA ( Palaung ethnic drug cartel) and AA (Rakhine ethnic drug cartel) as well as their allied KIA (Kachin ethnic) and UWSA (Wa ethnic Drug cartel). All the functions has their bases built along Chinese border and most members hold residence and citizenship in China while operate their drug labs inside Myanmar territory under their control.