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China, Russia and Mongolia conduct joint exercise in border area

Global Times

By Deng Xiaoci Published: Sep 09, 2025 09:20 AM Updated: Sep 09, 2025 01:55 PM

Troops from China, Russia, and Mongolia conducted the Border Defense Cooperation-2025 joint exercise in a border region of the three countries from September 8 to 9, under the theme of joint prevention and combat of terrorist and sabotage activities in border areas, according to a release by China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA News Media Center. This event marks the first time the three countries have organized a joint exercise involving their border defense forces, read the release.

The joint live-fire exercise aims to enhance the strategic coordination among the three parties, strengthen their ability to counter border security threats, further consolidate strategic mutual trust, demonstrate practical cooperation, and deepen traditional friendship, according to the release.

During the exercise, the three parties established a joint command post within Chinese territory, adhering to the principle of "whoever's territory it is takes the lead, with multilateral consultation and parallel command." Through activities such as joint planning, joint reconnaissance, joint containment, joint strikes, and joint handover, the exercise thoroughly tested a new model of border defense cooperation. After the formal exercise, the three parties also engaged in exchanges on specific topics related to border control, per the release.

China, Russia and Mongolia share strategic partnerships and long-standing neighborly relations. Strengthening interconnectivity and joint actions among the three countries on counter-terrorism is essential to effectively curb terrorist activities across the region, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China and Russia have extensive counter-terrorism experience and advanced equipment. By strengthening joint exercises to enhance Mongolia's counter-terrorism capacity, ensuring the three countries can operate effectively together. Song noted that counter-terrorism requires unified strength; if one country lags behind, it creates a "shortboard effect," that terrorists could exploit. Strengthening counter-terrorism collaboration and helping Mongolia improve its capabilities is a vital manifestation of China and Russia's efforts to combat terrorism and form collective strength, Song added.

According to a video footage by China Bugle on China's X-like social media platform Sina Weibo, the opening ceremony for the joint exercise took place in an unspecified border area of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, during which the national flags of China, Russia and Mongolia were raised to mark the start of the joint exercise.

The use of armored vehicles, unmanned equipment including quadruped robotic dogs and drones shown in the video.

Terrorist groups are increasingly turning to high-tech methods, Zhang Junshe, another military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Therefore, in addition to deploying armored vehicles and other regular military equipment, we have also deployed drones and ground-based robotic dogs, among other cutting-edge technological equipment, to address these high-tech terrorist activities.

These high-tech systems can enhance our capabilities in border patrol and control, while also saving manpower and material resources, and reducing personnel casualties. In particular, drones can detect and prevent signs of terrorist gatherings and activities in advance, and can be used to strike them. Therefore, the joint exercises among China, Mongolia, and Russia are more practical and targeted, Zhang explained.

Previously, the Chinese and Mongolian border defense troops conducted Border Defense Cooperation 2025 joint exercise in Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on August 15, China Military Online reported. Focusing on the subject of crackdown on cross-border illegal criminal activities, the exercise further enhanced both sides' joint border management and control capabilities and deepened their traditional friendship and pragmatic cooperation, the spokesperson said.