Chinese troops travel by rail to Mongolia for first joint army drill, in sign of growing strategic ties
- Bilateral army drills in the Gobi Desert are a first between the two neighbours
- Mongolia is working to strike a balance in its military ties between the US and China
China used a railway to deliver troops to the Gobi Desert for its first ever joint army drill with Mongolia on Thursday, the Chinese defence ministry said, in a sign of growing strategic ties between the two neighbours.
The Chinese and Mongolian militaries are conducting the joint military training exercise – dubbed “Steppe Partner-2024” – in the southeastern Mongolian province of Dornogovi, according to a statement issued on Friday by the ministry.
It is the first joint training exercise between the Chinese and Mongolian armies, China’s military said, adding that the theme is “dealing with the activities of illegal armed groups”.
The training area is deep in the Gobi Desert, according to the ministry, with strong sandstorms and steep temperature differences from day to night, requiring soldiers to “strictly” follow actual combat requirements.
The two militaries established command communications and defence facilities, set up camps, conducted terrain surveys, and streamlined supply links. Specific consultations on military operations will also be conducted during the exercise.
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Cross-border transport of Chinese troops by railway is only conducted with a small number of Beijing’s neighbours, with which a high level of strategic trust has been established. China has previously sent its personnel and weapons to Laos and Russia for joint drills.
