Editorial: China’s Marines Conduct First Military Exercises in the Gobi Desert

Image: Wiki Commons

By Shannon Tiezzi

China’s marines held live-fire drills, including a counterterrorism exercise, in Xinjiang.

The Marine Corps of China’s PLA Navy (PLAN) held their first-ever field drills in the Gobi Desert, in Xinjiang province, late last week, China Military Online reports. A battalion of marines, armored vehicles, and artillery units took part in a “confrontation exercise” and a counterterrorism drill from January 22 to 23.

The confrontation exercise pitched a mock battle between the marines and “a reinforced infantry company of the PLA Army,” according to China Military Online. The marines won the day thanks to “better mobility and stronger firepower,” China Daily reported, citing the Navy’s statement. 

Tellingly, the counterterrorism drill was a hostage rescue exercise, where the marines practiced reconnaissance, breaching a terrorist position, and evacuating from the area. There’s a special poignancy to that exercise, as a Chinese citizen was executed by the Islamic State last November. The victim, Fan Jinghui, was held hostage for months prior to being murdered, with Islamic State publicly soliciting an unspecified ransom for him. Yet what the foreign ministry described as China’s “all-out efforts to rescue him” were ultimately unsuccessful. A few days later, three more Chinese citizens died in a hostage situation in a hotel in Bamako, Mali, once again driving home the need for China to build up the capability to defend its citizens abroad – by force, if necessary.

Read the full story at The Diplomat