"Myanmar Military Shifts Jade Auction to China", The Irrawaddy, 24 Jul 2026

In an unprecedented move to revive a gemstone economy hollowed out by Western sanctions and battlefield losses, Myanmar’s military regime has launched its first official jade auction on Chinese soil.

The inaugural Myanmar Gems Emporium (Ruili) opened in Jiegao, a Chinese town opposite Muse in northern Shan State on Wednesday. [...].

The emporium stems from a memorandum of understanding signed between Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation and the Yunnan provincial government in February. The agreement also covers anti-smuggling efforts and “environmental collaboration.”

[...] The proceeds will go directly into regime coffers to fund its multi-front war against resistance forces.