logo
Myanmar rebels to hand key city back to junta

Myanmar rebels to hand key city back to junta

Express Tribune23-04-2025

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group is preparing to hand a captured city back to the military in a Beijing-brokered deal, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army ousted Myanmar's military from the city of Lashio in August 2024, capturing their northeastern command and a key trade route to China.
Analysts say it was the worst strategic loss the military suffered since seizing power in a 2021 coup that sparked a civil war pitting the generals against anti-coup fighters and long-active ethnic armed groups.
But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters the MNDAA is set to relinquish the city to the military. "At the joint invitation of both sides, China recently dispatched a ceasefire monitoring team to Lashio, Myanmar, to oversee the ceasefire between the Myanmar military and the MNDAA and to witness the smooth and orderly handover of Lashio's urban area," he said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chinese aircraft carriers appear in Pacific together for first time, Japan says
Chinese aircraft carriers appear in Pacific together for first time, Japan says

Express Tribune

time11 hours ago

  • Express Tribune

Chinese aircraft carriers appear in Pacific together for first time, Japan says

Listen to article Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, in a move that Japan's defence minister said signified Beijing's intention to further widen its capabilities beyond its borders. Since May, China has been flexing its muscles by sending an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels through a swathe of East Asian waters, according to security documents and officials, in moves that have unnerved regional capitals. Japan's defence ministry has confirmed the two carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, were operating in separate areas in the Pacific on Saturday, both near remote southern islands belonging to Japan. "Japan's prompt disclosure of information concerning the carriers underscores its commitment to deter any forceful, unilateral shifts in the regional status quo," Defence Minister Gen Nakatani told a press conference. He added that Tokyo has engaged with Beijing to ensure its operations did not pose a threat to Japan's national security, but stopped short of criticising the neighbour. Japan is pursuing the build-up of its Pacific air defences and will closely monitor the movements of Chinese naval vessels, Nakatani said. Earlier, Japan said the Liaoning sailed within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Minamitorishima, a remote island east of Iwo Jima. Beijing's activities were consistent with international law and practice, its foreign ministry said. "China has always pursued a defensive national defence policy and hopes that the Japanese side will look at the matter objectively and rationally," ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news briefing.

US-China trade talks to resume for a second day
US-China trade talks to resume for a second day

Business Recorder

time14 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

US-China trade talks to resume for a second day

LONDON: Top US and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for goods such as rare earths that have threatened a global supply chain shock and slower economic growth. Investors are hoping that the two superpowers can improve ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary trade deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. The talks come at a crucial time for both economies, with customs data showing that China's exports to the US plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since February 2020, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic upended global trade. While the impact on US inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, the dollar remains under pressure from US policymaking. The two sides met at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital on Monday to discuss disagreements around the Geneva deal, and are due to resume talks early on Tuesday before both sides are expected to issue updates. The US side is led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while the Chinese contingent is helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the US, is one indication of how central rare earths have become. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors. Lutnick did not attend the Geneva talks at which the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. US, China set for trade talks in London on Monday The second round of meetings between the two sides comes four days after Trump and Xi spoke by phone, their first direct interaction since Trump's January 20 inauguration. Following the call Trump said Xi had agreed to resume shipments to the US of rare earths minerals and magnets, and Reuters reported that China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the top three US automakers. But tensions remain high over the export controls, after factories around the world started to fret that they would not have enough of the materials they need to keep operating.

China's Xi urges respect, ‘right track' in call with South Korean counterpart
China's Xi urges respect, ‘right track' in call with South Korean counterpart

Business Recorder

time14 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

China's Xi urges respect, ‘right track' in call with South Korean counterpart

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday that the two countries should respect each other's core interests and major concerns and ensure ties move forward 'on the right track', China's state media reported. In their first phone call since Lee took office last week, Xi said healthy, stable and continuously deepening China-South Korea relations were conducive to regional and world peace and stability, according to state broadcaster CCTV. China, Latin America trade exceeded $500 billion in 2024 Xi urged the two countries to strengthen exchanges, adhere to the direction of 'friendly neighbours' and jointly safeguard global and regional industrial, supply chains.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store