Joint war excercises roar into Shandong
22/8/2005 8:27
Chinese soldiers and pilots from the Russian Air Force prepare for
the second phase of a joint military exercise, held in China's Shandong
Peninsula on Saturday. The first phase of the eight-day war games took
place in Vladivostok. - Xinhua
The second phase of the
Sino-Russia joint military exercise took place in east China's Shandong
Peninsula on Saturday morning, focusing on troop deployment, decision making and
ensuring coordinated action. The evening national news on Chinese state
television showed Chinese and Russian officers gathered in a command center
before computer screens showing maps of the exercise. The report showed
Chinese soldiers driving tanks and troop carriers and preparing for parachute
jumps. It showed Russian fighters and cargo planes landing at a Chinese base and
a Chinese schoolgirl giving a bouquet of flowers to a Russian naval officer. The
eight-day China-Russia joint military exercise, which has been titled "Peace
Mission 2005," involves nearly 10,000 troops from the two countries. The
drill aims to improve the capabilities of the Chinese and Russian armies in
combating new threats, dealing with crises and organizing coordinated actions
against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The war exercise is scheduled
for three phases: strategic consultation and battle planning, transportation and
deployment of troops and combat practice. The first phase was held in
Russia's Vladivostok last Thursday. The russian troops involved in the China
maneuvers include officers and soldiers from the country's paratroops, marines,
air force and navy. They arrived on the Shandong Peninsula and its offshore
waters beginning on August 9. The chinese troops, including ground forces,
navy, marines, air force and paratroops, have been conducting practice exercises
on the peninsula since mid-July.
Xinhua news
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