BEIJING: China has conducted military exercises near its border with Myanmar, where fighting between the Myanmar army and ethnic rebels has flared in recent months.

The defense ministry says in a statement that the annual training exercise involved the Chinese army and air force and tested troops' rapid response and joint strike capabilities.

China's government said earlier this month that more than 20,000 people from Myanmar have fled into China amid renewed fighting. At least 30 people were killed this month in a single day in a Myanmar town in a Chinese-speaking region near the border.

Colonel Fang Xin was quoted as saying that the exercises demonstrate the determination of the People's Liberation Army to defend national security and protect lives and property along the border.