Chinese Navy Ships Arrive in Myanmar Amid Heightened Tensions

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Facts

  • Three Chinese navy ships, including the destroyer Zibo and the frigate Jingzhou, docked at ports in Yangon, Myanmar, on Monday afternoon, with a 700-strong naval task force on board to conduct joint naval security drills.1
  • The vessels are part of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) 44th naval fleet, which has carried out anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast since 2008. Earlier this month, they were sighted in the United Arab Emirates.1
  • This visit comes as Myanmar's military junta currently faces the biggest challenge to its hold on power since taking over nearly three years ago, as an alliance of three powerful ethnic rebel militias in coordination with resistance forces launched a major offensive late last month.2
  • An estimated 20K resistance fighters have taken part in 'Operation 1027,' seizing at least 303 junta outposts and killing hundreds of junta troops across the country since Oct. 27. According to the UN, nearly 335K people have been displaced and almost 200 civilians have been killed in this escalation.3
  • China's official PLA Daily on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Myanmar after a rebel group claimed control of a border trading point on the weekend. A day earlier, the Chinese military started four-day exercises along its border with Myanmar for the first time since 2017.4
  • The United States Institute of Peace concluded in a report this month that tacit Chinese support was crucial to the success of Operation 1027, hypothesizing that it was in retaliation for the junta's failure to crack down on violent scam gangs targeting Chinese citizens.5

Sources: 1Reuters, 2CNN, 3The Irrawaddy, 4South China Morning Post and 5The Telegraph.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Progressive Voice Myanmar. These joint naval drills can only reinforce that Beijing doesn't care about the suffering of the Burmese people under the military junta's tight grip at all, focusing exclusively on its own economic interests — particularly on projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative. As the Spring Revolution gains momentum, it's clear that the PRC has chosen the wrong side of history.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by China Daily. Beijing has long sought to foster friendly relations based on the principle of mutual non-interference, so it's utterly reprehensible to say that China wants to meddle in Myanmar's internal affairs. Critics may claim that the PRC has boosted support for an alleged favored side, but, in reality, its latest actions aim to deal with any unforeseen spillover from the conflict in that country.

Predictions