Beijing, Oct 11 (PTI) China and Pakistan will hold joint military exercises in Xinjiang region this month, official media reported on Sunday.
The two armies will conduct the “Karakoram 2026” joint training exercise in Korla in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in mid and late October, official media here quoted Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Chen Xi as saying.
Chen said the exercise would help the two sides deepen cooperation and strengthen interoperability in counter-terrorism operations.
The drills mark an expansion of China-Pakistan military cooperation, which has previously included the Sea Guardians joint maritime exercises and the Shaheen joint air exercises.
Zhang Jueshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the state-run Global Times that the first-ever joint army training reflected growing mutual military trust and would strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation through sharing of experience and expertise.
“This marks an expansion of China-Pakistan military cooperation from specialised units in specific areas to regular army forces. It will deepen bilateral exchanges and reflect growing mutual military trust,” Zhang said.
The exercise will be the first joint army training between the two allies after Operation Sindoor in May 2025, during which India carried out strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
China in May this year confirmed that it had provided technical support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
China has also recently supplied its latest HQ-17AE short-range air defence systems to Pakistan to bolster its air defence capabilities.
Pakistan relies heavily on Chinese military equipment, with China accounting for more than 80 per cent of its arms imports in recent years.
The Karakoram exercise is also expected to cover counter-terrorism operations, including tackling drone attacks.
The drills come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over Islamabad’s allegations of cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghan territory. Afghanistan shares borders with both Pakistan and China. PTI KJV SKS GSP GSP
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