China Reshapes Myanmar Policy After Operation Sindoor To Target India’s Northeast: Sources | Exclusive

Last Updated:July 08, 2025, 16:13 IST

Sources say Beijing has fast-tracked key infrastructure projects in Myanmar, including Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway and pipelines linked to China-Myanmar Economic Corridor.

In this photo provided by Myanmar Military True News Information Team on May 9, 2025, Myanmar military chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, during their meeting in Moscow, Russia.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, top intelligence sources say that China has fundamentally restructured its Myanmar policy to exert sustained pressure on India’s Northeast. This recalibration, sources say, is aimed at transforming Myanmar’s military junta into a strategic lever to challenge India on multiple fronts — security, economic, and geopolitical.

According to intelligence inputs, Beijing has fast-tracked several key infrastructure projects in Myanmar, including the Muse-Mandalay-Kyaukphyu railway and pipelines linked to the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). These projects not only secure vital trade routes through northern Shan State — bordering India’s Northeast — but also enhance Chinese control over critical transit zones.

Top intelligence officials confirm that China has established a joint security company with Myanmar to “protect investments," which in effect supports the junta’s military capabilities. This Chinese-backed security arrangement allows pro-junta forces to act against Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs), while reinforcing Chinese influence near the Indian border.

Intelligence sources further note that after the collapse of China-mediated ceasefires like the Haigeng Agreement, Beijing selectively restored utilities such as electricity and internet to junta-controlled regions. This maneuver has strengthened groups like the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, enhancing their operations against anti-junta forces in strategic zones near India.

In a significant post-disaster move, China offered $14 million in aid after Myanmar’s 2025 earthquake — the largest international contribution. Intelligence officials view this as deepening Myanmar’s economic dependence on China and reinforcing Chinese sway over territories adjacent to India.

Moreover, top security analysts believe China’s strategy includes supporting proxy-driven drug warfare and cross-border networks that destabilise India’s Northeast. The broader goal, sources assert, is to distract India with a two-front challenge — managing Pakistan and an increasingly unstable eastern flank — thereby diluting India’s operational focus and obstructing regional connectivity projects like the Kaladan and Trilateral Highway.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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News world China Reshapes Myanmar Policy After Operation Sindoor To Target India’s Northeast: Sources | Exclusive