BEIJING: In China’s latest effort to expand security ties with countries in the Middle East and its Muslim neighbours, military personnel from China and Saudi Arabia have held their first joint antiterrorism drills, state media reported on Thursday.

China says its companies and citizens face a growing threat from terrorism as its global footprint expands, and the government has been getting more involved diplomatically in trouble spots in areas such as the Middle East.

President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia early this year, vowing to expand security cooperation.

Twenty-five people from each side took part in training over two weeks from Oct 10 focused on antiterrorism combat skills and tactics near China’s south-western city of Chongqing, the People’s Liberation Army Daily said.

“This joint antiterrorism training is directed at raising the two militaries’ ability to combat terrorism and non-traditional security threats,” the paper said.

Chinese officials have long been concerned that instability in Afghanistan will spill over into China’s western region of Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people. Hundreds of people have died there in recent years in unrest the government blames on militant separatists.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2016