China to dispatch 1,600 troops for military drills in Russia

BEIJING - The Chinese People's Liberation Army will send about 1,600 troops to participate in the Tsentr-2019 (Center-2019) drills in Russia, a Chinese military spokesperson said Thursday.

On the basis of the two countries' consensus, the Chinese military will take part in the drills from Sept 16 to 21, which focus on combating international terrorism and ensuring military security in Central Asia, said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense.

Ren said the Chinese military will also dispatch over 300 pieces of weaponry, nearly 30 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to take part in the joint anti-terrorist exercises.

Military units from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will also take part in the drills.

The military drills do not target any third party and are not related to any regional situations, Ren said.

Ren added that the Chinese and Russian air forces have conducted a joint strategic air navigation for the first time in Northeast Asia on July 23, noting that the aircraft of both militaries observed relevant provisions of international law during the flight and did not enter the airspace of other states.