As a long time observer of Myanmar's civil war, I need to clarify the somewhat misleading nature of this article. The journalist makes it appear as if RSO and the military Junta have reached some sort of a "truce". This is further from the truth. Rohingya guerillas have had little to no presence in Burma since the military's operations in 2017 and subsequent years marked by the infamous massacre of over 100 Rohingya villagers in August 2017. Due to the emergence of Arakan Army (AA) as a powerful guerilla force in Burma since the 2021 coup (Arakan are the native tibeto-burman people of the state of Arakan who are predominantly buddhist), and in a twist of irony, the military junta has been arming and training Rohingya guerillas as a counter to the threat from AA. Currently, AA has control of most of the state of Arakan with the exception of major cities and a Chinese-owned deep sea port.
China is doing its best to antagonize all of its neighbors.
Now bring that to World of Tanks. Or War Thunder.
Guerillas the Chinese helped founded, have supported and provided arms to have become more successful than they wanted. This development clearly confirms that Chinese are worried the Junta will collapse and Burma will fall into chaos, without a central authority but under disparate armed groups with constantly shifting territories due to rivalries amongst them. They need a central government in control of the country whom they can manipulate in order to implement their strategic interests in and through Burma. It seems their support for guerilla groups have been too successful and the situation is spinning out of their grasp.
First, we saw China appeal for regional unity in helping bring about stability in Burma 12 days ago, a break from its usual go-alone stance. Now they are blocking border trade that guerillas partially depend on for their revenue to bend them to Chinese will. The Chinese still have more leverage that they haven’t used yet of course. And it is interesting they are also pressuring the Wa who are not active participants in the civil war, but possesses the largest army amongst the guerillas with 30,000 soldiers (bigger than Sweden, Hungary or Portugal).
United States of Aristocracy.
I think Chinese are intentionally doing this. The more damage their bigger ships do to the smaller coast guard ships of Philipines, the less ships they will have to patrol and resupply their base in the Spratly islands. China has the LARGEST Navy in the world. Philippines' dwarf in comparison.
lol awesome. love it! haven't seen that one yet.
Your nick has me curious. Are you from one of the hill tribes of Burma?
It depends on how much reading you want to do. I find the most insightful author on Burma's civil wars is Bertil Lintner, former journalist who covered Burma and Southeast Asia for decades. Thant Myint-U is the most extensively published historian on Myanmar. His 2019 book https://wwnorton.com/books/the-hidden-history-of-burma should cover the background on current conflicts and Chinese role in it (as I vaguely recall). Wikipedia is not fully reliable as it is but a location for information war on internet. I find some articles on Foreign Policy somewhat naive. Council on Foreign Relations has this brief backgrounder on Burma: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/myanmar-history-coup-military-rule-ethnic-conflict-rohingya. It devotes half a sentence to the source of ethnic wars since independence: "Divisions purposely created under British colonial rule...". Lintner and Myint-U will give the best insights. This report is succinct in covering China's role and influence in Burma: https://www.usip.org/publications/2018/09/chinas-role-myanmars-internal-conflicts
Reposting my comment in Myanmar here to answer. It isn't on charm offensive. This situation is interesting because China is the one arming both sides of the conflict. China is the chief arms supplier to the military Junta whose weapons have been killing civilians. It is with Chinese blessing and Chinese weapons that guerilla group Brotherhood Alliance launched its 1027 operation last year that’s been highly successful against the Junta.
China has in the past gone alone (while rejecting participation of regional and other global powers) in brokering peace in Burma forcing both the Junta and the guerillas to sit down at meetings in southern China without participation of other regional countries. China has been the one meeting with Burma’s current and former dictators in past two months, including Wang's visit to Myanmar 2 days ago.
In an about-face, China is now seeking greater regional cooperation in Burma’s internal affairs. It may well be that the situation is spinning out of control for China, and Chinese are worried their strategic interests are now poised to crumble in Myanmar.
Now we know the real reason why Chinese are invading its neighbors in South China Sea.
There has been Chinese-sponsored (or coerced) peace talks in Yunan in the past. There were truces that came out of them, only for fighting to break out months later with both sides accusing the other of breaking the terms of truce. With every disparate guerilla force gaining momentum and growing more powerful, there is no end in sight. Not for the next 50 years.