Myanmar armed ethnic groups agree to cease-fire

The Myanmar military and three northern Myanmar armed ethnic groups held peace talks recently in China and reached an agreement on a temporary cease-fire, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.

The three armed ethnic groups are the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army. A number of arrangements including maintaining dialogue were reached in the talks mediated and facilitated by the Chinese side, Mao said.

Speaking to reporters after a regular news briefing in Beijing, Mao said that China has been making relentless efforts to promote talks to end the fighting and de-escalate the situation since clashes broke out in northern Myanmar on Oct 27.

"China supports the peace process of northern Myanmar and has been providing support and facilitation for dialogue and contact between relevant parties in Myanmar," she said.

The spokeswoman said that the notable de-escalation of the conflict in northern Myanmar not only serves the interests of relevant parties in Myanmar, but also helps ensure peace and tranquility in the China-Myanmar border area.

"China hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar can speed up efforts to implement what has been agreed, exercise maximum restraint, actively ease the situation on the ground and promptly manage sporadic confrontation events," Mao said, calling for joint efforts to realize the soft landing of the situation in northern Myanmar.