China calls for a cease-fire in Myanmar fighting

Beijing called for a cease-fire in Myanmar after a coalition of ethnic fighters seized several crossings along Myanmar’s border with China in the past month.

However, China will continue live-firing drills on its side of the frontier aimed at “testing the mobility, border control abilities and firepower capabilities of the military units so that the People’s Liberation Army is ready for any emergency,” the army newspaper PLA Daily said on Sunday.

Myanmar heavily relies on trade with China, especially for importing manufactured goods and exporting agricultural products. Unrest in Myanmar’s border region has been a constant irritant to China, which nevertheless backed the military leaders who seized power in the Southeast Asian nation in 2021 from an elected government.

Yet China is highly wary of conflicts spilling over the shared border that is already rife with drug trafficking and people smuggling. Cybercrime targeting Chinese victims has become a major concern, and China has pushed hard to eliminate the groups based in Myanmar and other countries and to send the perpetrators back to China for prosecution.

“China is highly concerned about the conflicts in Myanmar and has urged all sides to cease fire and start peaceful dialogues to prevent the situation from escalating further,” the PLA Daily said. MDT/AP