China to hold 3-day live-fire military drills near Myanmar border

Southern Theatre Command says troops are going to Ruili and Zhenkang in Yunnan province to ‘maintain safety and stability’

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PLA troops on a previous exercise in China. Photo: Weibo/ Southern Theatre Command

Sylvie Zhuangin BeijingandWendy Wuin Beijing

Published: 9:33am, 26 Aug 2024Updated: 9:13pm, 26 Aug 2024

China’s People’s Liberation Army will conduct a three-day live-fire drill from Tuesday on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border, according to the provincial government of Yunnan in the country’s southwest.

The drill area has been defined by points that include the city of Ruili, near the townships of Huyu and Wanding, Zhenkang county near Mengdui township, as well as the autonomous county of Gengma Dai and Wa near Mengding township.

In its announcement on Monday, the provincial government said that vehicles and personnel entering the defined area should follow traffic control regulations, suggesting that access has not been blocked.

Yunnan’s announcement came hours after a statement by the PLA Southern Theatre Command that its troops were going to Ruili and Zhenkang “to carry out border armed patrols and air-to-ground joint patrols”.

“The purpose is to test the theatre troops’ abilities in rapid mobility, three-dimensional containment and joint combat, to maintain the safety and stability of the border areas,” the PLA statement said.

The live-fire drill comes amid escalating fighting on multiple fronts within Myanmar, where the military government extended a state of emergency for another six months at the end of July to try and maintain its grip on power.