China has brokered fragile peace in northern Myanmar-it's unable to influence warring parties

There is, however, one caveat: The agreement only applies to the northern Shan state. The state has seen conflict since Myanmar's independence in 1948, and especially after the once-Beijing-backed Burma Communist Party established its headquarters there in 1968 and engaged the country's army in a prolonged war. On Jan. 12, 2024, China announced that it had brokered a cease-fire between the Myanmar military and a trio of ethnic armies, known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance. A shaky agreement to end fighting in northern Myanmar has served to highlight concerns in Beijing over the ongoing unrest - and the limits of…