Sino-Russian drill a warning to terrorists

(Asianewsphoto)
Updated: 2009-07-22 13:51

Russian helicopters train before a joint military exercise between China and Russia in Taonan, in northeast China's Jilin province, July 21, 2009. [Asianewsphoto]

BEIJING: A joint military exercise launched by Chinese and Russian armed forces Wednesday is a strong warning and deterrence to terrorists in the region, military researchers said.

General of the Army Nikolai Makarov, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and General Chen Bingde, Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), announced the commencement of the five-day "Peace Mission-2009" exercise in Russia's Khabarovsk.

"The exercise's orientation, arrangements and preparations have all revealed its anti-terror nature," said Major General Luo Yuan, researcher with the PLA's Military Sciences Academy.

"The major subjects of the exercise are not designed to train positional attack-and-defense or mobile warfare, but to encircle and suppress unprepared terrorists," Luo said.

"Terrorism activities vary in different countries and regions. It may be a large incident, such as that in Chechnya, or it could be individual operations such as roadside and suicide bombings," said Professor Ouyang Wei, of the PLA's National Defense University.

"Anti-terror operations should be customized to deal with different security threats," Ouyang said.

The joint military exercise involves about 2,600 army and air force personnel with special forces from both sides, and more than 40 fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships as well as other special reconnaissance equipment for fighting terrorists.

The maneuvres in the exercise showcased the anti-terrorism determination and solid partnership of the two countries, Ouyang said.

After the strategic talks held by the two chiefs of the General Staff in Khabarovsk, the military forces will conduct the exercise at the PLA's Taonan Tactical Training Base in northeast China's Jilin Province.

Under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the exercise falls on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

Military observers from the other four SCO member states -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- and the SCO secretariat, are observing the exercise in China.

China, Russia and other member states of the SCO held two similar anti-terrorism exercises under the name of "Peace Mission" in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

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