China’s foreign minister makes rare visit to Myanmar border

BEIJING (AP) — China’s foreign minister has called for stability along the country’s border with Myanmar and a crackdown on cross-border criminal activity during a rare visit to the volatile region. Qin Gang said local Communist Party and government departments, the People’s Liberation Army, police and civilian bodies should join in strengthening the border defense system. The 1,323-mile border runs through densely forested mountains and has long been notorious for drug smuggling into China from the “Golden Triangle” region where the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet. The United Nations says the production of opium in Myanmar has flourished since the military seized power in 2021, with poppy cultivation up one-third in the past year.