The "Steppe Partner 2026" joint army training between China and Mongolia wrapped up on Saturday in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with the closing ceremony held at a Chinese army training base.
The ceremony officially began at 12:00 amid the raising of both Chinese and Mongolian national flags, with all officers and soldiers of both sides standing at attention, saluting solemnly. Leaders of the Chinese and Mongolian observation delegations distributed souvenirs to representatives of the participating troops at the event, and then the soldiers conducted a series of exchange activities including basketball games.
"During the joint training, we fought side-by-side with our Mongolian counterparts, coordinating our attacks and enhancing our combat capabilities through rigorous training. Living and working together day and night, we had cultural exchanges, shared experiences and forged deep friendships, writing a new chapter of win-win cooperation. This joint training also deepened our understanding about the importance of coordinated operations, providing invaluable experience for every participating officer and soldier," said Yu Jingyang, a member of the Chinese unit participating in the drills.
After the closing ceremony, the participating Chinese troops helped their Mongolian counterparts in loading supplies onto vehicles, dismantling and securing equipment. According to the relevant work plan, the Mongolian troops will depart from the Erenhot border crossing in two transport columns, with all departures expected done by June 10.
"Steppe Partner 2026" joint training wraps up in Inner Mongolia
Armed police officers and soldiers, in coordination with multiple professional rescue forces, are conducting in-depth search and rescue operations for missing people in the core disaster zone in Mingkeng Village of east China's Jiangxi Province.
At around 07:00 on Tuesday, the rescue headquarters integrated 12 professional teams, including the armed police, public security, and the fire department, to launch a search-and-rescue operation for missing persons in the hardest-hit area of the Shixia group of Mingkeng Village.
As of 18:00 on Tuesday, the mudslide that occurred in the early hours of Saturday has killed 12 people, including one newly identified missing person found in subsequent searches. At present, one person remains unaccounted for, and rescue forces are intensifying their search and rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the Ji'an Detachment of the Jiangxi Armed Police Force deployed officers and soldiers to extend rescue efforts to surrounding disaster-affected townships.
On Tuesday morning, rescuers split into multiple teams and rushed to several villages in Zuo'an Township and Tanghu Township of Suichuan County to urgently evacuate the trapped residents.
Trapped in mountainous areas, villagers faced destroyed access roads and mountain paths that became slippery and impassable after days of heavy rainfall; most stranded residents were elderly people with limited mobility. The armed police officers and soldiers conducted door-to-door checks and carried the trapped residents on their backs, successfully evacuating all of them to safe zones.
"All village roads are completely impassable. The local residents here are all left-behind elderly people and children, and it is extremely difficult to complete the evacuation relying solely on the strength of the town government officials. This time, we are deeply indebted to the armed police officers and soldiers for their assistance in evacuating all these elderly residents," said Wang Yuli, deputy mayor of Tanghu Township in Suichuan County.
"The mountain slopes are covered in thick mud, making the ground extremely slippery. In some sections, stretchers cannot pass through at all, so rescuers have to carry the stranded people on their backs. As long as the people are safe, it is worthwhile to endure all the hardship and exhaustion," said Jiang Jiang, a soldier of the Ji'an Detachment of the Jiangxi Armed Police Force.
Rescuers intensify search efforts in mudslide-hit village in east China's Jiangxi
