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China, UAE set for joint air force training in military first, as Beijing forges closer Middle East ties
- ‘Falcon Shield 2023’ joint exercises to take place in Xinjiang in August, Chinese defence ministry says
- Brief statement on Monday does not mention size of Emirati contingent, the duration or scope of the drills
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The air forces of China and the United Arab Emirates will train together for the first time next month, according to the Chinese defence ministry.
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The “Falcon Shield 2023” exercises will take place in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the ministry said in a brief statement on Monday.
China has focused on forging closer economic and military ties with countries in the Middle East, such as the UAE, as part of its post-pandemic diplomatic outreach.
Although the United States still maintains a much larger footprint in the region, China’s anti-piracy operations, building of commercial ports and growing arms sales are proof of its intention to play a bigger role in regional geopolitics beyond energy trade.
At the first China-Arab States summit in December – where Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech – the 21 members of the Arab League and Beijing agreed to more cooperation between their militaries, including on international peacekeeping, maritime security, and combined exercises and training.
“This is the first combined air force training between China and the UAE,” Monday’s defence ministry statement said. “It aims to deepen pragmatic exchange and cooperation between the two militaries and to promote mutual understanding and trust.”
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