Exovera’s report, Overview of PLA Military Diplomacy in July 2025, surveys Chinese and English-language publications on the PLA’s global engagements during the month. Coverage highlighted senior-level exchanges, including Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia’s meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff, General Asim Munir. July also featured several international military interactions: China conducted its first-ever joint training with Serbia, launched inaugural joint border patrol training with Vietnam, and prepared for a Sino-Russian naval exercise near Vladivostok. Multilateral events included the “Sharp Blade 2025” international sniper competition in Xinjiang, with over 20 participating countries, and a large academic defense forum hosted by the PLA’s National Defense University that drew scholars and officers from nearly 100 countriesOverview of PLA Military Diplom….
Functional and humanitarian engagements were prominent. The PLA Support Base in Djibouti joined Comoros’ independence parade, and the Chilean Navy’s training ship Esmeralda visited Shanghai. The PLA also organized peace and security dialogues such as the China-Africa Young Leaders Conference in Nanjing and hosted over 180 foreign cadets at its Army Engineering University. Nontraditional missions featured the Navy’s Silk Road Ark hospital ship completing a medical mission to South China Sea islands, and extensive reporting on peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, South Sudan, and Abyei. Chinese contingents carried out road reconstruction, medical evacuations, and joint drills with multinational partners, with official publications underscoring China’s position as the largest troop contributor among UN Security Council permanent members.
