By Du Juan, Gong Ze, Wang Cheng, Sun Wanning, Hu Zongbo, Sun Jiaqian, Wang Lijun and Liu Hanwen

China-Mongolia joint army training Steppe Partner 2026 kicked off at a joint training base in Inner Mongolia, China, on May 30, 2026. Over 600 participating troops from both sides attended the opening ceremony.

Focusing on the theme of Joint Strike Against Illegal Armed Groups, Steppe Partner 2026 is the second iteration of its kind between the two armies, which serves the purpose of continuously deepening friendship and mutual trust, enhancing practical cooperation, and strengthening capabilities of both sides in jointly upholding regional peace and stability.

The Chinese participating troops are primarily composed of the armored troops assigned to a brigade under the Chinese PLA 79th Group Army.

During the joint training, the two sides will establish a joint command post to conduct training exercises focusing on joint command and coordinated strikes, in a bid to further enhance the two militaries' capabilities in jointly addressing security risks and carrying out missions together.