Source: english.chinamil.com.cn

07-30-2007 17:30

MANCHURI, July 28 (Xinhua)-- "Harasho (Good)!" Chinese soldiers tried to greet Russian attendants, by spelling the first Russian word they ever learned, after they took a Russian military train particularly assigned to transport the Chinese troops to join in a joint military exercise in Russia.

The last batch of the Chinese troops changed to a Russian train and crossed the border at 13:10 am, on Saturday.

This is the first time that soldiers and officers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have taken Russian trains for a military mission.

Over the past seven days, 1,600 Chinese servicemen with their heavy and light equipment traveled over 5,000 kilometers to reach the border city of Manchuri, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Earlier, these troops gathered in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The Chinese troops will be transported to Russia's Chebarkul training range by the Russian train, and all the fuel, water and food supplies as well as security will be provided by the Russian side. Only one Chinese officer will stay with Russian officers on the train for the purpose of coordination.

According to the schedule, the Peace Mission 2007 will be held in Russia from August 9-17. The real-war exercise will be at the Chebarkul training range.

The joint anti-terrorism drill is organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), consisting of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In the past few days, SCO officers had strategic talks in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang.

In August of 2005, China and Russia held their first joint military exercise, the Peace Mission 2005.

 

Editor:Chen Ge