Myanmar Junta Turns to China to Prop Up Crisis-Hit Gemstone Sector

Myanmar and China have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly organize a gems exhibition in China’s Jiegao, the once bustling border trade zone opposite Muse in northern Shan State—a move that underscores the regime’s growing dependence on China to keep the gemstone economy alive as sanctions, conflict and collapsing demand hollow out the industry.

The agreement was signed on February 24 by junta Natural Resources Minister Khin Maung Yi and senior Yunnan provincial officials, according to regime media. The junta says the MoU aims to expand cooperation in the gemstone trade, curb smuggling and strengthen environmental coordination. Although details remain vague, the decision to hold a Myanmar‑branded gems exhibition on Chinese soil marks a significant shift in how the regime engages Beijing on one of its most lucrative but troubled natural resource sectors.

How Chinese demand drives Myanmar jade carnage

China has long been the dominant buyer of Myanmar’s high‑value jadeite, prized in Yunnan and Guangdong for carving, jewelry and luxury markets. For decades, raw stones extracted in Kachin State flowed—legally and illicitly—across the Muse-Ruili border before entering China’s vast processing hubs in Tengchong, Guangzhou, Sihui and Jieyang. Even during periods of political upheaval, jadeite remained a pillar of cross‑border commerce.