China says it has brokered a ceasefire between Myanmar’s military government and a major ethnic rebel group in the country’s northeast

The Myanmar military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) signed a formal agreement for a ceasefire that began on Saturday, China's foreign ministry said, halting fighting near the border of both countries.

The peace deal comes into effect on the weekend but experts aren't convinced it will lead to hostilities easing across the war-torn country.

The agreement between the military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army came after months of Chinese pressure to return to political dialogue.