First China-UAE joint air force drills to be held in August

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Jul 2023 10:18

The drills will be held in August, in accordance with the annual plan and relevant agreements between the two countries.

A Chinese J-11 military fighter jet flies above the Taiwan Strait near Pingtan, the closest land of mainland China to the island of Taiwan, in southeastern China’s Fujian Province on August 5, 2022. (AP)

China's Defense Ministry announced on Monday that China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are planning to hold their first joint air force exercises in August.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the drills will take place in north-western China, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"This will be the first joint China-UAE air force exercise. It is aimed at deepening practical exchanges and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, as well as strengthening mutual understanding and mutual trust," China’s defense ministry said.

The ministry noted that the drills will be held in August, in accordance with the annual plan and relevant agreements between the two countries.

Beijing recently began to expand its relations across the Arab region, particularly since it brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran -- the region's two biggest players on March 10.

While the US failed to fulfill its security commitments towards Saudi Arabia, the latter decided to maneuver into a position backed by Chinese guarantees of security.

The expansion of China across the oil-rich region is problematic for the US whose hegemony relies in great part on the control and pricing of oil commodities.