Following reports of possible junta airstrikes on Pang War Town in Kachin State’s Chipwi Township, an area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), China has closed the Pang War border crossing, according to locals.
China began shutting the border crossing on February 26. This crossing is a key route through which rice, cooking oil, salt and vegetables are imported from China into Pang War.
Meanwhile, Chinese mining companies hoisted Chinese flags at mine sites in Pang War, a town known for its abundant rare-earth mineral deposits. The move intends to ensure that the sites can be identified from a fighter jet's cockpit as Chinese business operations.
“The border crossing has been closed, so food supplies are no longer coming into Pang War. Chinese businessmen say they expect airstrikes. Workers at the mining sites have also been told to stockpile food. After reports of possible junta aircraft, Chinese flags are now being flown at some of the mines,” said a mine worker from Pang War.
Reports that the junta had been planning airstrikes on rare-earth mining sites in Pang War began emerging on February 22. Chinese businessmen subsequently instructed workers to dig bomb shelters in advance, and Chinese flags were raised on February 26.
Some mining sites have shut down over safety concerns, and the Myitkyina–Pang War–Chipwi Road is also currently closed.
A woman from Pang War said that the border closure and road shutdowns are creating multiple challenges for residents.
“I was planning to go to Myitkyina, but now I can’t. Work in Pang War isn’t going well at the moment. It seems the road has been closed because of the security situation. Some Chinese mining sites have also shut down, and Chinese flags have been raised there,” she told KNG.
Widespread speculation suggests that reports of imminent junta airstrikes in Pang War may have been based on intelligence provided in advance to Chinese companies by the Chinese government, raising concerns among locals.
In the third week of February, the Chinese government held a meeting with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the KIA, though the talks' details remain unknown.
Locals suggested that the junta is seeking to increase pressure on the KIO after reaching an agreement with China to lead the restart of the Myitsone Dam project, a stalled Chinese investment in Myitkyina Township, Kachin State.
