Knowing the influence of intra- and interspecific associations on tree recruitment is essential to understanding forest dynamics. Here, we used spatial point-pattern analysis to investigate the distribution and association of two dominant species, Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) and Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis), in an arid mixed coniferous forest in the Luoshan Mountains, Ningxia, China. The results showed that adults of either species were distributed randomly across all scales in the mixed forest. Regarding their intraspecific associations, the density of adult P. tabuliformis trees was positively associated with that of seedlings and saplings, while P. crassifolia adults lacked a close relationship to seedlings and saplings. However, in terms of intraspecific mortality, denser adult P. tabuliformis trees increased the mortality of seedlings and saplings on a small scale (< 5 m), while denser P. crassifolia adults consistently increased the mortality of seedlings and saplings at most spatial scales. Regarding their interspecific associations, the density of adult P. crassifolia trees was negatively correlated with that of P. tabuliformis saplings and seedlings, at both small and medium spatial scales (1-25 m and 1-17 m, respectively). Yet P. tabuliformis adults lacked a close relationship with P. crassifolia seedlings and saplings. Interestingly, regarding interspecific mortality, adult P. tabuliformis trees lessened the mortality of P. crassifolia seedlings, while P. crassifolia adults increased that of P. tabuliformis seedlings and saplings at most spatial scales. Collectively, these findings indicate that not only interspecific, but also intraspecific interactions, could drive forest dynamics in mixed stands in arid regions.