China completes border disarmament inspections with four countries

BEIJING -- China has completed the last round of inspections of this year on the obligation of border disarmament agreements with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, according to the PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The newspaper reported on Tuesday that China and a team representing the other four countries inspected each other's border defense forces in mid-August.

In 1996, the five countries signed the Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas. In 1997, they signed the Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Areas.

The agreements opened the cooperation process of the "Shanghai Five" and laid down a solid foundation for the establishment and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

During the past two decades, the two sides convened more than 30 meetings and organized more than 140 mutual inspections along the borders, which boasts over 7,600 kilometers between China and the other four nations, according to the report.

Currently, the number of military personnel and amount of arms and military technology equipment are below the limits set by the agreements in applicable areas, said the report.

The two sides also stepped up exchanges by visiting one another's border defense posts and border cities, as well as organizing literary and sports contests and military training and performances, it said.

They have organized several "Peace Mission" joint military exercises under the SCO framework, carried out regular joint patrols, and regularly reported border situations to the other side, it added.

"Though the staff are different in their professional backgrounds, language and culture, they can trust and understand each other and cooperate closely," Huang Xiaodong, head of the office for the obligation of border disarmament agreements, Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, was quoted as saying.

The report said the countries will continue to deepen implementation of the two agreements and cooperation on border defense.