The heads of state of all six Shanghai Cooperative Organization
(SCO) members will watch the final phase of "Peace Mission 2007" in
Russia's Urals Mountains today.
The joint anti-terrorism military exercise began in Urumqi,
capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on
August 9.
"All the troops participating in the drill have gathered at the
site," Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army
Colonel-General Vladimir Moltenskoy said yesterday. Moltenskov, who
is also Russia's commander-in-chief for the drill, was speaking at
a joint news conference with his SCO counterparts.
After combat preparations and joint training sessions at a range
of the Russian Army's 34th Motorized Rifle Division last week, the
joint forces of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan will "retake" a town from "terrorists" today,
bringing an end to "operation rescue".
"The six countries' armed forces have coordinated excellently in
commanding, planning and combat operations. It's difficult to
distinguish whether it is a multinational force or that of an
individual country in action," General Xu Qiliang, deputy chief of
the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said.
General Xu is also the Chinese commander-in-chief for the joint
exercise.
"To this end, we have done a lot despite the language
differences and disparities in tactics," Xu said.
About 6,500 troops are part of SCO's largest counter-terrorism
exercise. About 500 combat vehicles and 80 aircraft from Russia and
China, about 2,000 Russian and 1,600 Chinese personnel, two
paratrooper companies (of about 100 men each) from Tajikistan and
Kazakhstan, and a platoon from Kyrgyzstan comprise the joint
forces.
Observers said the leaders' presence at the war game, the first
time in the history of the SCO, demonstrates their determination to
combat the three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism
that pose a threat to peace and stability in the region.
Till last year, defense ministers were the highest ranking
officials to watch the bilateral or trilateral military
exercises.
The purpose of the joint anti-terrorist maneuver is to
"demonstrate the determination of the SCO member states in the
fight against the three evil forces, as well as the common desire
to ensure security and stability in the region and stimulate common
development and prosperity," Vice-Chairman of Central Military
Commission, State Councilor and Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said
after arriving at Shagol airfield outside Chelyabinsk on
Wednesday.
(China Daily August 17, 2007)