Myanmar's Military Gains Ground with China's Backing

Thu Oct 23 2025 08:36:18 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Following a series of relentless air strikes and renewed military tactics, Myanmar's junta, with crucial support from China, has successfully regained key territories. This uptick in military success raises questions about the opposition's future as civil tensions continue.

Myanmar's military has launched a series of air strikes, effectively reasserting control over strategic areas, notably recapturing Kyaukme and Hsipaw, towns pivotal for trade routes to China. This resurgence is attributed largely to new military strategies and Chinese support, which has openly sided with the junta. The growing utilization of drones has shifted the balance back in favor of the military, complicating the already fragmented opposition's attempts to regroup. As the junta prepares for elections amidst ongoing civil unrest, the implications for Myanmar's future remain uncertain.

Myanmar's Military Gains Ground with China's Backing

Following a series of relentless air strikes and renewed military tactics, Myanmar's junta, with crucial support from China, has successfully regained key territories. This uptick in military success raises questions about the opposition's future as civil tensions continue.

Recent developments in Myanmar have seen the military junta launching aggressive air strikes, leading to the significant recapture of towns like Kyaukme — a critical point for trade routes connecting to China. The junta's resurgence has sparked speculation and concern regarding the strategies employed by both the military and the opposition.

The recapture of Kyaukme and other towns illustrates a marked shift in military dynamics, with the junta's forces utilizing newfound technologies, such as drones, to combat opposition forces effectively. These techniques have resulted in increased effectiveness of air strikes leading to substantial civilian casualties, with estimates suggesting over a thousand fatalities in recent months alone.

Central to this military revival is China's backing. With an interest in maintaining stability in Myanmar, aligned to bolster outcomes beneficial for their political agenda, Beijing has openly supported the junta's plans to hold elections despite widespread condemnation from global observers over the human rights conditions in the region.

As the military gears up for elections that are largely expected to exclude significant opposition factions, the fragmented nature of resistance groups, compounded by their lack of centralized leadership and coordinated strategy, raises the stakes for the future governance and civil peace in Myanmar.