Chinese Army Spokesman Announces Military Drills on Myanmar Border

BEIJING, (Sputnik) - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday launched military drills on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border, Tian Junli, the spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the PLA, has said.

"Under the annual exercise plan, the PLA Southern Theater Command has organized army units to conduct military exercises on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border starting from November 25," Tian said in a statement.

The purpose of the drills is to test the army's mobility, border control and firepower, the statement read.

The troops of the Southern Theater Command are always ready to defend state sovereignty, border stability and people's security, Tian said. No information is provided on the duration and extent of the drills.

After Myanmar gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, the central authorities and military groups of ethnic minorities waged a civil war in the country, which lasted until the 1990s. Regional experts believe that a new escalation of the civil war has been taking place since the military grabbed power in Myanmar in February 2021.