China-UAE Joint Military Drills Over Uyghur Camps in Uyghur Region

The choice of location for the China–UAE joint military exercise underscores China’s assertiveness in defending its policies despite global criticism.

July 11, 2024

Chinese and Emirati jets will conduct joint military drills over Uyghurland, a region known for China’s detention camps and prisons holding millions of Uyghurs. The exercises, dubbed Falcon Shield-2024, commenced in late June and are scheduled to continue until late July, involving the air forces of both nations. The Chinese military said the exercises are aiming to enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation, improve strategic cooperation, and achieve common goals and expectations of both sides.

Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement : “According to the annual plan and the consensus reached by China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Falcon Shield-2024 joint training exercise between the Chinese and UAE air forces are ongoing in China’s Xinjiang from late June to late July. This is the second joint training between the two air forces, aiming to enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation, improve strategic cooperation, and achieve common goals and expectations of both sides.”

However, details regarding the specific aircraft types, contingent sizes, and the full scope of maneuvers have not been disclosed by the Chinese Defense Ministry.

The drills highlight growing military ties between China and the UAE, raising concerns amid international scrutiny of Uyghur human rights situation. The location choice underscores China’s assertiveness in defending its policies despite global criticism.

The United Arab Emirates has backed China’s actions against Uyghurs and has supported Beijing at the United Nations on issues related to Uyghur human rights.The stance of many Muslim-majority countries—including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Iran—in supporting China’s policies in Uyghur region, often under the banner of counterterrorism and opposition to what they call Western “politicization of human rights,” has been widely criticized by human rights organizations and international media.