China holds military drills near Myanmar border after 120 trucks burned

Trung Quốc tập trận gần biên giới Myanmar sau vụ 120 xe tải bị thiêu rụi - 1 — A convoy of trucks caught fire on the Myanmar-China border on November 24 (Photo: Reuters).

On social media, the Chinese military announced the start of "combat training activities" from November 25 on the border with Myanmar, a day after a convoy of trucks carrying goods into the Southeast Asian country caught fire.

Myanmar state media called it an attack by insurgents, which came amid security concerns on the border with China.

The Chinese envoy earlier met with top Myanmar officials for talks on stabilizing the border situation. China has repeatedly called for peace and stability in Myanmar.

The drill aims to "test the combat forces' rapid mobility, border blockade and firepower attack capabilities," the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army announced on social network Wechat.

The brief statement did not give details on the timing or number of troops involved in the training exercise.

Myanmar state newspaper Global New Light reported on the attack yesterday: "As a result of this terrorist act, about 120 out of 258 vehicles carrying household goods, consumer goods, clothes and construction materials were burned down."

Meanwhile, Li Kyar Win, a spokesman for one of the rebel forces, denied burning the convoy and said they did not carry out attacks "to sabotage the interests of the people".

The November 24 attack in Muse town took place in the context of the Myanmar military recently losing control of several areas and military outposts in the northeast near the Chinese border to rebel forces.

According to United Nations statistics, the confrontation between the Myanmar military and rebel forces in the past few weeks has caused 2 million people to flee their homes.

Source