New Delhi: Even as the escalating combat between Myanmar’s Junta and the Brotherhood Alliance is leading to the capture of towns by the pro-democracy forces on that country’s key trade routes to China, the Chinese army have stepped up vigilance along its border, news reports have said.Between November 25 and 28, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting live-fire drills on their side of the border with Myanmar. The PLA Daily said their troops “are ready for any emergency”.Though this drill is an annual exercise, the PLA Daily has said that the Myanmar conflict had caused casualties and thereby “complicating the security situation” close to the international border.According to a Reuters report on November 28, three Chinese navy ships had also arrived in Yangon around the same time. Quoting the Global News Light of Myanmar, the report said the Chinese task force in Yangon comprises 700 personnel and are on a four-day visit to the national capital. The task force would “conduct naval security exercises” with Myanmar amidst the Chinese concern about a surge in the fighting between Junta and the rebel forces.According to The Irrawaddy, more than 100 cargo trucks were destroyed by the Alliance in an attack on the Junta troops guarding the Jin San Jio border gate with China in the northern Shan state in the last week. Quoting “sources in the border trade zone”, the news report said the attack had resulted financial loss of over $14.33 million. This border gate is located about ten km from Muse, Myanmar’s key trade town with China. The report said the Alliance used drones to drop bombs on the Junta troops in Muse. The trucks were loaded with Chinese imports to Myanmar.Since October end, the pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces (PDF) and armed militias under the umbrella Brotherhood Alliance have heightened their armed resistance movement against the Junta. With the fighting escalating since, a number of key trade towns with China in that region have come under the control of the Alliance forces.With the pro-democracy Alliance gaining ground, supporters of the Junta, on Sunday, staged a protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Yangon, accusing China of backing the pro-democracy alliance on the northern Shan state.“Members of the Patriotic Monks Union (Yangon) and Myanmar Nationalist Organization took part in the protest outside Yangon City Hall, accusing Beijing of destroying Myanmar by selling weapons to ethnic armed organizations based near the border in northern Myanmar, and to People’s Defence Force groups (PDFs),” said The Irrawaddy.The report said, “Pro-junta media agencies have (also) pointed a finger at China for the Junta’s defeats, claiming Beijing is backing the Brotherhood Alliance.”It also underlined, “Sunday’s protest was very unusual, as it was the first time China has been named openly in a public, Junta-approved protest targeting Beijing, the Myanmar regime’s ally. The fact that the rallies were approved by the regime reveals the Junta’s displeasure with China, probably for its failure to intervene in the alliance, with whom it has influence.”