Chinese Border Markers Reach Edge of Muse Town in Latest Encroachment

Residents in Muse, northern Shan State, across from China’s Ruili, say Chinese border markers have advanced further into Myanmar territory this month, with flagpoles now reaching the edge of the town.

Eyewitnesses told The Irrawaddy the flagpoles that Chinese work crews typically plant before erecting border fences now extend as far as the football ground beside Mingalar Muse Market, adjacent to Jiegao.

The Ruili River (known in Burmese as Shweli) loops around Jiegao, forming a natural boundary. Because of this riverine loop, Jiegao is surrounded by Muse on its east, south, and north sides. In some spots, Jiegao is separated from Muse by less than 500 m of water and fencing. It is linked with the rest of mainland China by a bridge across the Ruili River.

Locals report that Chinese teams are planting flagpoles deeper inside Myanmar territory, effectively pushing Jiegao’s boundary northward. Flagpoles now stand just 6 m from Mingalar Muse Market north of Jiegao, a local resident said.

“I noticed flagpoles inside Myanmar territory some two or three months ago. Then, they were still far away. But, when we went to play football at a pitch near Mingalar Muse Market a few days ago, I noticed that the flagpoles have moved much closer—just 20 feet or so.”

Since late 2025, China has steadily expanded border fencing across northern Shan State, including in Namtit, Chinshwehaw, Laukkai, Kyukok (Pansai), Muse and Namkham—townships controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

Villagers report fences advancing 15 to 100 meters inside Myanmar territory, swallowing farmland, homes, paths and waterways in those townships. Locals say fear of retaliation prevents them from speaking out.

Residents of the MNDAA-controlled Kokang region report that the ethnic armed group is cooperating with Chinese construction teams. “The two sides are working together, so it is clear they have an agreement. Ordinary people live in fear of the armed groups and dare not protest,” a woman from Chinshwehaw told The Irrawaddy in May. In UWSA-controlled Namtit, a stream that once marked the boundary has reportedly been absorbed into Chinese territory.

Based near the border, both the MNDAA and UWSA are heavily influenced by China. The UWSA has upheld its ceasefire with the Myanmar military and prioritizes stable ties with Beijing, while the MNDAA fought the junta after the 2021 coup, until China pressured it into a ceasefire in 2025. The Kokang group has since faced criticism for opening its territory to Chinese businesses, making Chinese an official language, and allowing the yuan to dominate daily transactions.

The China-Myanmar border stretches over 2,000 km and is governed by bilateral agreements, including a 1960 border treaty, which established a 10-meter buffer zone along the entire border, within which permanent construction is prohibited.

Under a boundary protocol signed in 1961, the countries agreed to conduct joint inspections of the demarcated boundary every five years, but this has only occurred twice—in 1984-86 and 1992-95. The two countries reportedly planned a third joint inspection in 2020 under the since ousted civilian government.

Despite the encroachment, no protest has been issued by the MNDAA, the UWSA or the Myanmar military. The Myanmar military did raise an objection in 2020 when China constructed fences near the border in Laukkai Township in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, which is today controlled by the MNDAA. (The armed group refers to the territory as Shan State Special Region 1.) Photos released by the MNDAA during Chinese New Year celebrations show long border fences snaking through the mountainous border landscape.

Instead of confronting China, the regime, which relies heavily on Beijing for its survival and diplomatic cover, has focused its pressure on domestic media. On May 15, the junta‑appointed Myanmar Press Council summoned media outlets and relayed a Foreign Ministry letter warning that coverage of the border fencing issue could harm relations with Beijing.