The city took the initiative in establishing the special force under the ratification of the State Council.

A spokesperson for the Shanghai Armed Police Force said the force is undergoing comprehensive military training and will be sent to Beijing later this year for further education.

The troops will be responsible for aviation security in the eastern part of the country, including Shanghai and the neighbouring provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, officials said.

The force will also guard against other terrorist activities by land and sea in Shanghai.

The number of troops on the force and the kind of equipment they are using are not being released for security reasons, officials said.

Other places also plan to set up their own task forces so as to form a nationwide network against terrorisms.

Northeast China's Liaoning Province has already followed suit, officials said. The average age is 20, and many are members of the province's armed police force.

And on Monday in Xi'an in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, a training exercise on terrorism was conducted for 800 members of a special police team.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security said that local police bureaus are being urged to set up task forces to protect the nation's skies. The spokesperson would not elaborate on the specific duties the forces will carry out.

Police officers are not the only ones undergoing special training. China Eastern Airlines based in Shanghai said it will recruit 30 security guards to ensure order at Shanghai's two airports.

Shanghai is also tightening security at its railway stations.

Police officers conducted a training exercise on Monday near the Shanghai Railway Station in which two "hostages" were rescued, local media reported.

(China Daily July 17, 2002)