New Delhi: China and Pakistan will hold their first joint army training exercise in Xinjiang later this month, expanding military cooperation between the two nation beyond naval and air force drills. Named Karakoram 2026, the exercise will focus on counterterrorism operations in high-altitude areas, with training in drone operations, moving-target firing and long-range sniping.
The Chinese ministry of national defence spokesman, Senior Colonel Chen Xi, announced the exercise at a media briefing on Saturday. The training will take place in Korla, in the northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in mid and late October.
“Focusing on joint counterterrorism operations in high-altitude areas, the activity will include skills training in UAV operation, on-the-move target search and firing, and long-range sniping, and cover joint command and live-force exercises,” Chen said.
He added that the exercise would help the two countries “deepen cooperation and strengthen interoperability in counterterrorism”, marking the first time their armies have conducted joint training of this kind.
The drills will bring together ground forces for training in surveillance-related skills, target engagement and coordinated command. However, the Chinese defence ministry has not disclosed the troop strength, participating units or exact dates of the exercise.
From naval and air drills to army training
China and Pakistan have previously conducted joint naval exercises under the Sea Guardians series and air force drills under the Shaheen series. According to a CCTV News report cited by the Global Times, the Sea Guardian IV naval exercise concluded on April 1 this year, after featuring port-based exchanges and live sea drills in the northern Arabian Sea.
The Shaheen-X air exercise, held in China in 2023, featured joint air defence and seizure-and-control missions. Karakoram 2026 adds a land-based component to this cooperation, bringing regular army forces into a joint training programme for the first time.
The Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Jueshe told the state-run Global Times that the exercise would extend cooperation beyond specialized units to regular army forces. He said it would strengthen military exchanges and mutual trust through the sharing of counterterrorism experience.
Regional security concerns
The exercise comes amid tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over Islamabad’s allegations that militant groups operate from Afghan territory. Both China and Pakistan share borders with Afghanistan, making regional security a concern for their governments. Beijing has not, however, directly linked the planned drills to the current dispute.
This is also happening in the midst of the Operation Sindoor carried out by India in May 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. India targeted the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during the operation. In May, China stated that it offered technical assistance to Pakistan during the operation. China is also the biggest exporter of arms to Pakistan.
Karakoram 2026 will give an extra dimension to these relations because the aim of the exercise is improving the coordination of the two armies in counterterrorism operations at heights.