The Shared Destiny 2021 multinational peacekeeping exercise started at a military training base in Henan province on Monday, the Chinese military's headquarters at the exercise said.

Troops from four nations－China, Mongolia, Pakistan and Thailand－took part in an opening ceremony on Monday morning at the People's Liberation Army Ground Force's Queshan Combined Tactical Training Base and then moved to multiple training ranges to conduct drills, the headquarters said in a statement.

It said the 10-day exercise is the first multinational peacekeeping exercise held by the Chinese military and is focused on joint operations by peacekeepers from several nations.

A response to the United Nations' Action for Peacekeeping initiative, it is intended to foster practical cooperation among countries that contribute peacekeepers and improve the skills of standby peacekeeping units, the headquarters said.