Map Shows China Surrounded by Conflicts

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Clashes at the Thai-Cambodian border late last month marked the second conflict to erupt on China's doorstep this year, following the brief air war between ally Pakistan and India over contested Kashmir.
On its periphery are two longer-running conflicts involving China's strategic partners—the civil war in Myanmar and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
As the Indo-Pacific's largest military and political power, China has a stake in regional security matters, particularly when fighting breaks out near its borders.
Below, Newsweek briefly outlines each recent or ongoing conflict and Beijing's position on it.
Myanmar Civil War
Armed resistance groups have battled Myanmar's military since it seized power in a February 2021 coup. The junta has killed more than 7,000 civilians, according to estimates by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
China shares a border with Myanmar, and the ongoing war has disrupted Beijing's significant business interests there. While the junta controls little more than 20 percent of the country's territory, it benefits from continued Chinese military support, including armored vehicles, artillery and fighter jets.
"China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in April.
"We follow the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, support Myanmar in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, support various parties in Myanmar in carrying out friendly consultation toward political reconciliation, and support Myanmar in resuming the political transition process."
Russia-Ukraine
Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine is the next longest-running conflict involving a Chinese neighbor.
The bulk of the fighting has taken place in Ukraine, and between August 2024 and mid-2025, Russia's Kursk region. However, Ukrainian military intelligence have claimed responsibility for a May 30 attack on a military base in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok—about 50 miles from the Chinese border.
Though Beijing frames itself as neutral, the United States and European Union have accused China of enabling Russia by allowing Chinese companies to supply its quasi-ally with civilian-military dual-use goods, including unmanned aerial vehicles, and by continuing to purchase Russian oil and gas, helping Moscow's wartime economy withstand heavy international sanctions.
In a news conference with German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul last month, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said, per a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout, "China's position has been open and consistent, which includes promoting peace talks, not providing lethal weapons to parties in the conflict, and strictly controlling the export of dual-use articles, including drones."
Thailand-Cambodia
A fragile truce reached on July 28 between Thailand and Cambodia ended five days of hostilities that left 35 people dead and more than 100 injured, following a flare-up in the neighbors' long-standing border tensions.
Cambodia has one of the most pro-China governments in the Asia-Pacific, though Beijing maintains close ties with both countries and has urged restraint.
"China upholds a just and fair position, supports Cambodia and Thailand in enhancing communication and resolving differences properly, supports advancing political settlement through the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Way, and is ready to continue playing a constructive role for the peaceful settlement of the border disputes between Cambodia and Thailand," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
India-Pakistan
According to reports, China played a role during and after the four-day aerial clashes between its strategic ally Pakistan and India in the disputed Kashmir region in early May.
India's defense minister accused Beijing of "providing all possible support" to Islamabad, noting that 81 percent of the military hardware Pakistan had acquired since 2020 came from China.
French intelligence have alleged that Chinese officials sought to hype weapons systems—such as the Chengdu J-10 fighter jet—by contrasting its performance with that of French-made Rafale jets during May's aerial dogfights in a bid to present Chinese aircraft as superior.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described India and Pakistan as "important neighbors" of China. She told reporters last month, "Over the past weeks and months, China has closely followed the developments between India and Pakistan, actively promoted talks for peace, and worked to maintain regional peace and stability."