China will hold air defense and live-fire drills near its border with Myanmar from Wednesday, state media said, in this month's second round of such exercises as fighting between Myanmar's ruling junta and rebel forces intensifies.
The drills follow a significant escalation of the conflict last week, when rebel forces captured the Myanmar town of Myawaddy, a key trading outpost near the Thai border, prompting a stream of refugees into Thailand.
State broadcaster CCTV said this week's drills, conducted by China's Southern Theater Command, were part of an annual training exercise without referring to the fighting in the neighboring nation.