China and Pakistan announced the commencement of live-fire military drills July 11, coinciding with drills currently being conducted by the United States and its allies.
The joint exercises, dubbed Sea Guardians 2, began at the Wusong military port in Shanghai and will continue through July 13.
The exercise is the second of the China-Pakistan Sea Guardians series of exercises. The first was conducted in the Arabian Sea in early 2020 near Pakistan’s city of Karachi.
China’s Navy said that Sea Guardians was designed to “further strengthen both sides’ ability to jointly handle security threats at sea,” according to Chinese state-run media.
Sea Guardians 2 will take place in both the water and airspace around Shanghai, and both Chinese and Pakistani forces will conduct live-fire exercises for maritime strikes, tactical maneuvers, anti-submarine operations, and practice supporting damaged vessels….