[REVISION HISTORY]

China-Pakistan strategic cooperation expansion

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2026-10-15 16:53 UTC → 2026-10-18 15:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

China and Pakistan are expanding cooperation across multiple strategic sectors, including space exploration and military operations. In late September 2026, the two nations advanced their space partnership through astronaut training in Beijing. Two Pakistani pilots, Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, underwent training involving Mandarin instruction and microgravity drills to potentially join missions on China’s Tiangong space station. This cooperation follows previous joint efforts in satellite launches and navigation systems. By mid-October 2026, the partnership extended into military training with the launch of ‘Karakoram 2026’. This inaugural joint army exercise, held at a military training base in Korla within China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, focuses on high-altitude counter-terrorism operations. The drills involve joint command exercises and the use of various military assets, including unmanned aerial vehicles, Type 11 armoured assault vehicles, and Type 08 infantry fighting vehicles, to enhance interoperability between the two nations. Regarding space exploration, a Pakistani astronaut is scheduled to board the Tiangong space station in the second half of 2026. This would mark the first time a foreign national joins the station. Following the Shenzhou-23 mission, the astronaut is expected to participate in the Shenzhou-24 mission as a payload expert to conduct scientific research projects for Pakistan. On October 18, 2026, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal announced that Pakistan’s first astronaut will embark on a mission from a Chinese space center on November 25. This follows the Astronaut Cooperation Agreement signed in February 2025. Furthermore, the Pakistani government has established a long-term goal to achieve a lunar landing by 2035 through international cooperation and scientific research.

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