About 2,000 troops from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) members held a joint field exercise on Saturday, starting the
second phase of the "Peace Mission 2007" anti-terror drill.
Those troops, from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, staged a parade at a military base near
Russia's Ural Mountains city of Chelyabinsk.
Commanders from the six countries agreed that since the SCO was
forged in June 2001, it has abided by the "Shanghai Spirit," which
embodies mutual trust and benefit, equality, respect for cultural
diversity and a desire for common development.
The organization has established a new model of defense and
security cooperation under the principles of openness, transparency
and non-targeting at the third party, they noted.
The joint exercise is intended to show the will and
determination of SCO members in action to crack down on the "three
evil forces" -- terrorism, separatism and extremism. It will
improve their battle effectiveness and upgrade cooperation
mechanism in a bid to maintain regional peace and stability, they
said.
"It has been proved in today's maneuver that the joint drill
will unite our troops and facilitate our cooperation," said Chinese
deputy commander Liu Chengjun. Chinese troops could learn from
their partners in terms of principle, tactics and braveness, he
added.
In the first phase of the drill, chiefs of staff of the six
military forces held strategic negotiations and gave orders in
Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region on Thursday.
About 6,500 troops and 80 aircraft took part in the excise,
which will last till Aug. 17 in the Chebarkul range near
Chelyabinsk.
(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2007)