A contingent of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China arrived
in Islamabad yesterday at the Chaklala Air Force Base to participate
in the Joint Exercise "Friendship 2006", the Pakistani army said.
The exercise will start in Pakistan on Dec. 11, according to a statement from
the Inter-Services Public Relations.
The ten-day long exercises are aimed at strengthening the existing bonds of
friendship between armies of the two countries, it said.
"The exercise will be second of its nature, while the first exercise was held
in China in 2004," it said.
The focus of exercises will be to mutually benefit from each other's
experiences in planning and conduct anti-terrorism operations, the statement
said.
It will be for the first time that PLA troops will carry out joint exercises
outside China. The PLA troops were warmly received by senior Pakistan army
officers on arrival. A flag hoisting ceremony will be held to mark the beginning
of the joint exercises.
High-level delegations from both countries are expected to visit the exercise
area during the conduct phase to witness the joint exercises, according to the
statement.
