Sino-Myanmar Border Conflicts

According to the latest news, the Tatmadaw even crossed into China's border that day when they captured the area around border-mark number 113 and continued to shell Kokang positions. On that occassion, they also fired into China's territory. At that time, Chinese broder guards didnt react.
This morning (June 1st), two hours before China announced the border excercise, the Tatmadaw invaded China's border again around the border-mark no. 144-4. Chinese border guards were present though, and they fired into the air to warn them. The Tatmadaw ignored the warnings and continued their intrusion, so the Chinese border guards warned them again with more shots into the air. But after ignoring that warning again, the PLA border guards actually opened fire and wounded 5 of them.
The Tatmadaw didnt dare to return fire and, while carrying their wounded, ultimately retreated back to their side of the border. This was the very first time that China fired upon the Tatmadaw, but the second time the Tatmadaw invaded China's border with ground troops.

It also seems that China's really gearing up and changing her policies towards Myanmar, following this timeline

还不知道边境军演针对谁的，可以看下时间顺序

之前，果敢同盟军物资在临沧受阻
27日，新书记孙青友代替被中纪委审查的原临沧书记李小平
28日，果敢同盟军的民间援助渠道“云开雾散”
30日，缅军越境占领山头，果敢军顾忌“向中国射击”因此没有还击（与缅军的态度差别）。
31日，武警嘴遁驱离缅军
1日，PLA宣布边境演习，演习终止日期另行宣布。

Basically, the party secretary Li Xiao Ping was kicked out on May 27th and replaced by Sun Qing You. Since then, the 'civilian support routes' supporting the Kokang were fully opened - the evidence is a weibo-post written by a Kokang liason officer on the Chinese side, saying that the supply route is "clear as the sky" now and expressing his thanks to all the Chinese compariots for their support of their struggle:

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Then on May 30th, the Tatmadaw intruded into China's territory around the border-mark 113, capturing that hill on the Chinese side, firing into the Chinese territory with no regards towards the people and China's sovereignity. From then on, it was pretty much clear that the shellings of the past were indeed the Tatmadaw's doing and not by the Kokang, whose stance was always not to shoot towards China.

May 31st, the PAP used IFVs (or what does 嘴遁 mean?) to expell the Tatmadaw from that hill near mark 113. Probably without any resistance or use of weapons.

June 1st, the PLA declares its military excercise on the Sino-Myanmar border.


As always, take that with a grain of salt. But judging from the past events, it does look pretty convincing.
Especially interesting is the fact that the Party Secretary of that area was changed out, and that the policy immediately shifted from no support to open support for the Kokang.

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cn_habs said:

I am thinking the Chinese border guards weren't properly equipped to engage Burmese regularly combatants? Are the guards army or simply armed police?

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People's Daily Online said:

Troops from Chengdu Military Region started a land and air live-fire drill on Tuesday along a part of the border with Myanmar. The real combat-like drill aims at safeguarding China's border security and aviation security and protecting people's lives and property.

Troops started an air-ground live-fire drill in southwest China's Yunnan Province, close to the border with Myanmar on Tuesday.

On the morning of the first day’s drill, the army made a precise aerial attack. The air attack is very important in the mountainous jungle areas as it’s hard for the vehicles and soldiers to reach.

Zhi-9 (Z-9) utility helicopters also took part in the drill. These helicopters were equipped with special cameras, by which the soldiers could see the attack of rocket projectiles.

In the afternoon, the detective radar used only 8 seconds to identify the enemy position before the army launched an accurate attack with howitzers against the enemy.

Aviation, artillery, air defense, infantry, missile and radar units all participated in the drill. Local departments of the Communist Party of China and the government, national defense mobilization agencies and militia were also involved.

The exercise aims at testing military maneuvers, reconnaissance, strike power, mobilization and militia reserve support, said Tang Jibing, senior colonel with the PLA Chengdu Military Area Command.

"Holding drills is an effective way to enhance joint operations capabilities and it is necessary in safeguarding frontier and air defense and protecting people's lives and property," Tang said.

The exercise will be conducted in accordance with training plans, with exercise areas and attack targets randomly selected, he added.

The PLA said Chinese authorities have informed Myanmar of the drill, and an end date will be announced later.

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Aung San Suu Kyi to visit China next week

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's opposition leader, will visit China for the first time next week at a time of tension between the two countries.

Ms Suu Kyi will start the four-day visit next Wednesday, her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said.

An NLD spokesman said she would meet China's president, Xi Jinping, and premier, Li Keqiang.

Relations between the countries have cooled in recent years, partly because of violence near their mutual border.

Myanmar has been fighting rebels in its eastern Kokang region, which borders China's Yunnan province.

At least five people in Yunnan died in March when an aircraft from Myanmar, also known as Burma, dropped a bomb on a sugar cane field.
China sent patrols to the border in response.

While Myanmar's military junta was under Western sanctions, and Ms Suu Kyi was under house arrest, China remained a loyal ally.

But since reforms were introduced in 2011, the government of President Thein Sein has allied itself closely with the United States, although China continues to help develop major infrastructure projects in Myanmar.

As head of the NLD, Ms Suu Kyi is expected to play a key role in Myanmar's presidential elections this November, although she is unlikely to be able to stand for president.

She is fighting to overturn a clause in the constitution that currently blocks her from standing as a candidate.

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no_name said:

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China sending a message that the Junta is not their only option.

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no_name said:

Actually that is probably how the US (or anyone else really) does political business as well, if we look past the rhetoric.

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