Nepal, Feb. 1 -- Since December 2023, the Myanmar Army has seen a reverse in its control of the crucial border region, with ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) gaining the upper hand by expelling the Tatmadaw-as the Myanmarese military is known. The rebels captured Laukkaing, the capital of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone bordering China. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), which consists of the Kokang minority, a Han-speaking ethnic group, took the lead in this operation supported by its other two partners. Laukkaing is a border town that controls much of the lucrative illicit trade that flows to Myanmar.

China is concerned about these illegal networks and human trafficking that have lured Chinese citizens to get invo...