The fifth edition of Nepal-China joint military exercise will kick off on September 6. This time the joint military exercise will be held in Nepal, according to Manoj Kumar Acharay, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence.

The fourth edition of Nepal-China military exercise was held in Chongqing, China. Under the theme of "joint counter-terrorism operations in urban blocks", the joint training was conducted around rappelling or fast roping, improvised explosive device (IED) search and removal, checkpoint blockade, infiltration approaching, armed rescue and other subjects.

The exercise will continue for ten days, said Acharya, where the Nepali and People’s Liberation Army personnel will share their experiences on counter terrorism, disaster management and share their expertise in various areas. Under the banner of “Sagarmatha Friendship", Nepal and China alternatively organise military exercises.

Recently a Nepal Army team visited Chengdu, China, met with senior PLA officials and discussed the preparations for the joint military drill, sources said.

“We have been conducting military exercises with India, the US and other countries on a regular basis. This is also part of our regular military exercise with China,” said Acharya. But the officials have not disclosed the location for the exercise.

The first joint military exercise between Nepal and China began in 2017. The platoon level training is led by captains from both sides. According to officials, around 150 military personnel will take part in the exercise this time. The joint military exercise was paused in 2019 following the Covid outbreak, until 2023.

Nepal Army says the drill is part of its regular bilateral and multilateral military exercises aimed at sharing experiences, skills and professional knowledge, a practice common with nations that have diplomatic ties with Nepal. The joint exercise, according to the army, is aimed at fighting terrorism, disaster response and management, and high-altitude warfare, among others.
Nepal Army has been participating in various bilateral and multilateral exercises in areas of disaster management and humanitarian assistance, and United Nations peacekeeping missions.

The army has been conducting battalion-level exercises titled ‘Surya Kiran’ with the Indian Army for the past 19 years, engaging some 300 soldiers from both sides. Similarly, a Nepal-US joint military exercise named Pacific Angel has also been taking place on a regular basis.