Pakistan, China hold joint naval exercise ‘Sea Guardian’

2026-03-26 - 04:50

KARACHI – Pakistan and China have launched the fourth iteration of bilateral naval exercise ‘SEA GUARDIAN’ in Karachi. “The SEA GUARDIAN exercise aims to further strengthen bilateral relations through the mutual exchange of maritime expertise and enhanced interoperability between the two friendly navies, reflecting their shared commitment to regional peace,” the statement said. “The exercise will feature a range of harbor and sea-phase activities, including subject matter expert engagements, a young officers’ seminar on contemporary topics, gunnery firings, coordinated patrols, and other maritime security operations,” it added. The exercise began on Wednesday after the Chinese naval vessel arrived in Karachi and was being escorted into port by Pakistan Navy ships in a ceremonial reception. The exercises will continue till 2 April 2026. Pakistan and China have increasingly strengthened their naval collaboration in recent years, using joint exercises to enhance the security aspect of their wider partnership, while Pakistan also holds comparable maritime drills with various regional and global partners.