China-Myanmar Free-Trade Pact Would Formalize Cross-Border Flows Already Hidden From Statistics

Xi Jinping's June 16 talks with Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing produced MoUs toward a bilateral free-trade agreement. The move risks formalizing flows already undercounted in Myanmar's trade data—flows through Shan and Kachin checkpoints that chiefly benefit Yunnan enterprises, not conflict-affected border populations. Formalization would expand Chinese access while generating SAC customs revenue, deepening economic asymmetry between Beijing and a junta isolated internationally.