AFP :
China’s army and air force began live-fire exercises Tuesday next to its border with Myanmar, local authorities said, following recent bilateral talks on security in the area.
Myanmar’s northern Shan state has been the site of repeated clashes since late June after ethnic rebel groups renewed an offensive against the military along a vital trade highway to China.
Beijing is a major ally and arms supplier to Myanmar’s junta, but analysts say it also maintains ties with ethnic armed groups that hold territory near its border.
Earlier this month Myanmar’s embattled junta chief hosted China’s foreign minister in Naypyidaw for talks on the “stability of the border regions.”
Shan state borders China’s Yunnan province and is a vital piece of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Local authorities in Yunnan said the drills, held according to an “annual training plan,” would last until Thursday.