Summary
The nearly 2,000km (1,240-mile) border is becoming costly for China. The corridor has become a battleground between Myanmar rebels and the country's army.
Ruili is the last hope for Li Mianzhen, who can no longer earn a living in Myanmar. Her corner stall sells food and drinks from Myanmar - like milk tea. The situation has made people desperate, Li says.
The men live and work on the few square kilometres of the government-run compound in Ruili. Zin Aung says it is a sanctuary, compared with what they left behind.
Many of the workers are from Lashio, the largest town in Shan State, and Laukkaing, home to junta-backed crime families. Both towns lie along China’s prized trade corridor and the Beijing-brokered ceasefire left Lashio in the hands of the junta. But in recent weeks rebel forces have pushed into the town - their biggest victory to date.
Three years on, the war has killed thousands and displaced millions, but no end is in sight. President Xi Jinping had spent years cultivating ties with his resource-rich neighbour.
Businesses in Ruili, a city on the border with Myanmar, have been hit. They rely on labour from the other side, which has stopped. China has tightened its restrictions on hiring workers from across the border.
The successful ones are given a pass which allows them to work for up to a week, or come and go between the two countries. They understand that their future is in Chinese hands, as do the Chinese.