New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- A major ethnic rebel group in Myanmar announced Wednesday it signed a cease-fire with the military following China-mediated talks, easing months of intense fighting in the country's northeast near the Chinese border.

The ceasefire with the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, marks a significant victory for Myanmar's military government, which has regained territories ahead of elections scheduled to start Dec. 28. Critics see the polls, which exclude the main opposition parties, as an attempt to legitimize and maintain the military's rule.

The ceasefire was signed during talks mediated by China on Monday and Tuesday in Kunming, a Chinese provincial capital about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the border with ...