China, Nepal militaries to hold joint anti-terror drills in September

Beijing: The Chinese and Nepalese militaries will conduct a joint counter-terrorism training exercise in Nepal next month, the defence ministry here announced on Thursday, days ahead of Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s visit to China.

The exercises to be held from early to mid-September will feature comprehensive counter-terrorism drills, as well as training in disaster relief and peacekeeping operations, Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang told a press conference here.

This will be the fifth such joint training between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Nepalese armed forces, and it will further enhance their joint counter-terrorism capabilities and deepen the traditional friendship and practical cooperation between the two militaries, Zhang said.

Prime Minister Oli will arrive in China on Saturday for a five-day visit during which he will attend the SCO plus Summit in Tianjin and a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Nepal is the dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), comprising Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and China.

China is this year's rotating chair of the 10-member bloc.

During his visit, Oli is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and deliver an address at the SCO Plus Summit on September 1, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Besides attending the summit, Oli will witness the military parade on Sept 3 in Beijing commemorating the victory against Japanese aggression during WWII.

China's decision to invite foreign leaders to the event has triggered a diplomatic row with Japan, which urged world leaders not to attend, saying the event has anti-Japanese overtones.

China has lodged a diplomatic protest with Japan over the remarks.

Besides Oli, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will also attend the parade.