Striking at the Core: Myanmar’s Civil War, China’s Border Strategy & the Rare Earth Battle

Myanmar’s civil war has entered a decisive phase—one that links battlefield gains, border politics, and the global race for critical minerals. Striking at the Core is a Global Eye Intelligence conflict study that dissects how the Kachin Independence Army’s advances near the China–Myanmar border have triggered strategic responses from Beijing, reshaping regional security and global supply chains.

This report analyses the capture of strategic towns, the collapse of junta-aligned border forces, and the humanitarian fallout created by sudden border closures. It explains why China has mobilised troops, shut key crossings, and prioritised stability over alliances—driven largely by its overwhelming dependence on rare earth imports from Kachin State. With over half of China’s rare earth inflows tied to Myanmar, control over these territories has become a matter of economic and strategic survival.

Beyond military dynamics, the report exposes environmental degradation, coercive mining practices, militia financing, and the ethical risks embedded in global clean-energy supply chains. Scenario mapping outlines how continued conflict could disrupt EV, wind, and defence industries worldwide.

Wars today are fought over resources as much as territory. Those who track Myanmar now will understand tomorrow’s supply-chain shocks before markets react. Follow Global Eye Intelligence to stay ahead of conflict-resource linkages shaping global power.