The armies of Pakistan and China began their joint training exercise Karakoram 2026 on Wednesday, October 14, with an opening ceremony at a training base in Korla in China's Xinjiang region. Chinese state media described it as the first training under the Karakoram name, though the two armies have held many joint exercises before, including the long-running Warrior counter-terrorism series.
According to PLA Daily, the national flags of both countries were raised to their anthems and the heads of both training guidance groups spoke at the ceremony. Afterwards, the two sides exchanged combat cases and counter-terrorism experience, and Pakistani personnel viewed some Chinese weapons and equipment.
Senior Colonel Chen Xi, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a briefing last week that the exercise would focus on joint counter-terrorism operations in high-altitude areas. He said it would include skills training in drone operation, on-the-move target search and firing, and long-range sniping, and would cover joint command and live-force exercises. He said the training would help the two sides strengthen cooperation and interoperability in counter-terrorism.
PLA Daily said the Chinese contingent is drawn from a regiment of the Xinjiang Military Command and includes armour, unmanned systems, fire support, intelligence, engineering and medical specialists. The two sides will set up a joint command post to practise joint planning, coordination and command and control. The training is scheduled to run until late October.
Dawn reported that Pakistan and China held a joint patrolling exercise in September at Mantika Pass, at an altitude of about 4,700 metres near Khunjerab in Gilgit-Baltistan's Hunza, and that the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to closer military cooperation and strategic coordination in May.