China, Russia, Mongolia Conduct First Joint Border Defence Drill

China, Russia, and Mongolia conducted their first-ever joint border defence exercises from September 8 to 9, marking a significant step in trilateral military cooperation aimed at enhancing border security and countering sabotage activities. The drills, named "Border Defence Cooperation - 2025," took place in a border region shared by the three countries and featured modern surveillance technologies such as drones, radar, and unmanned ground vehicles to improve frontier management. A joint command post was established on Chinese territory, following the principle that the host country leads operations, with multilateral consultation and parallel command structures, illustrating a new model of border defense cooperation. These exercises came shortly after a trilateral summit in Beijing, reflecting the deepening political alignment and strategic partnership amid China's efforts to expand regional influence and promote a new global security framework. The drills demonstrated practical cooperation and mutual trust while allowing the participating forces to conduct joint planning, reconnaissance, containment, strikes, and handover operations. Mongolia remains an observer state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, maintaining strategic flexibility despite Beijing's encouragement to join fully.