China said it had agreed an "immediate ceasefire" between Myanmar's army and an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups after fighting has raged in northern Shan state since October.
"The two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of military personnel, and the resolution of relevant disputes and demands through peaceful negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
The talks were held with "the mediation and assistance of the Chinese side" on Wednesday and Thursday in Kunming, Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, she said.
Mao did not say which areas were covered by the cease-fire.
Myanmar's military faces its biggest threat since it seized power in a coup in 2021 after three armed ethnic groups - known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance - launched a major offensive in northern Shan state in October.
Last week, the armed alliance said it had captured a northern city known for its online fraud, another blow to the junta.
Since November, people have been fleeing the town of Laukai, located in an area bordering China that is run by a Myanmar-linked military militia and known for gambling, prostitution, and online fraud run by complexes employing thousands of people, many of them victims of trafficking.
The alliance made up of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Arakan Army (AA) and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said the city was now under their control.
Last week, Beijing also expressed "strong displeasure" that fighting in Myanmar had led to Chinese casualties and said it would take "all necessary measures" to protect its citizens after an artillery shell was reported to have exploded. across the border.
"The two sides are committed not to compromise the security of Chinese residents along the border and Chinese personnel in Myanmar," Mao said. /BGNES
