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[Bilingual] China and Mongolia Will Hold "Steppe Partner-2026" Joint Army Training
【双语】中蒙将举行“草原伙伴-2026”陆军联训
PLA Daily (解放军报)
18 May 2026
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Summary
Senior Colonel Jiang Bin announced on May 18 that China and Mongolia will conduct the 'Steppe Partner-2026' joint army training in Inner Mongolia from late May to early June, with joint strike operations against illegal armed organizations as the stated exercise scenario. This is the second iteration of the Steppe Partner series, extending a bilateral training track that began with the inaugural exercise; the counterterrorism framing fits the standard justification China uses for exercises with neighboring states under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation security umbrella, though Mongolia is not an SCO member, which raises the question of what institutional framework governs the series.
Translation
China and Mongolia Will Hold "Steppe Partner-2026" Joint Army Training
On the afternoon of May 18, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin released information on recent military-related matters.
Jiang Bin: From late May to early June, the China-Mongolia "Steppe Partner-2026" joint army training will be held in Inner Mongolia, China. This joint training takes joint strike operations against illegal armed organizations as its subject matter. It is the second time the two countries' armies have held this series of joint training, and is aimed at continuously deepening friendship and mutual trust, strengthening practical cooperation, and enhancing the capability of both sides to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
Original Chinese
中蒙将举行“草原伙伴-2026”陆军联训 China and Mongolia Will Hold Steppe Partner 2026 Joint Army Training 5月18日下午，国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校就近期涉军问题发布消息。 蒋斌：5月下旬至6月上旬，中蒙“草原伙伴-2026”陆军联训将在中国内蒙古举行。此次联训以联合打击非法武装组织行动为课题，是两国陆军第2次举行该系列联训，旨在不断深化友谊互信，加强务实合作，提升共同维护地区和平稳定能力。 Jiang Bin:China-Mongolia joint army training Steppe Partner 2026 will be held in Inner Mongolia, China, from late May to early June. Focusing on the theme of Joint Strike Against Illegal Armed Groups, Steppe Partner 2026 will be 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.
