China wrapped up the second phase of its joint anti-terror drill
with Kazakhstan at noon today in Yining, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Yining game consists of five parts, simulating a battle in
which Chinese guards gradually forced the terrorists into a narrow
valley and cliff caves.
It lasted two hours and ten minutes, with groups of the mock
terrorists being eliminated by the police forces consisting of
artillery, police dogs, cavalry, special services and other
troops.
Chinese troops of the "Tianshan-I (2006)" exercise in Yining
were mainly composed of border police and anti-terror special force
in Xinjiang.
Some 700 police force were deployed on the game equipped with
advanced weapons including armed helicopters and armored anti-riot
vehicles, the police authority said.
Around 100 observers from member states of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) -- which includes China, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- were in Yining
to evaluate the drill.
They were satisfied and applauded to the participating troops,
the police said.
The drill is the first ever joint anti-terrorism exercise
between the two countries' law enforcement bodies and special
forces within SCO framework.
China and Kazakhstan on Thursday finished the first phase of the
drill in Kazakhstan's eastern Almaty region. Kazakhstan's
border-guard force also mobilized armed helicopters, armored
anti-riot vehicle and other military equipments.
China's police authority said the exercise was held to
demonstrate SCO's latest progress in combating terrorists in the
region, namely the "three evil forces" of terrorists, separatists
and extremists.
According to China's Ministry of Public Security, the exercise
was aimed at implementing the consensus on enhancing security
cooperation among SCO member states reached at the SCO summit in
June, and improving coordination between their law enforcement
departments and special services.
"The exercise will help establish SCO's active role in
maintaining regional security and stability," said Men Hongwei,
vice minister of public security and commander of the Chinese
troops for the drill .
Men said the police force will also explore new patterns of
security cooperation through the exercise, noting that both
traditional combating forces like cavalry and the modern ones are
participating in the drill.
China shares a 1,700-kilometer border with Kazakhstan, the
longest after its boundary with Russia. Dr. Feng Yujun, from the
China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the
two countries settled border disputes in 1999, and it is of great
political and strategic significance for them to have cross-border
anti-terror cooperation.
A number of anti-terror exercises have been held among SCO
member states, including the war game codenamed "Peaceful Mission -
2005" held by Chinese and Russian forces. The member states will
stage another round of anti-terrorism military exercise in Russia
next year.
(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2006)
