The militaries of China and Mongolia will hold a joint exercise in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Friday, according to the annual plan for border defense exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

In a statement, the ministry said the joint exercise, themed "China-Mongolia Joint Action to Curb Border Crimes", will be conducted near the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang, which is close to the border area of the two countries.

The exercise aims to enhance the joint ability of the two countries' frontier forces to fight against smuggling and terrorism near their borders, the statement said.

It also looks to jointly maintain the capability of maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas and further deepen pragmatic exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, the ministry said.