SCO exercises show resolve to fight Three Evil Forces: official

Military drills being held by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) demonstrated the group's resolve and capacity to fight the "Three Evil Forces", a senior Chinese military official said here Friday.

In addition to fighting the three evil forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism, the Peace Mission 2010 war games showed the participating countries' desire for peace and stability, common development and prosperity, Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, at a press conference said.

Organizing and holding the war games was concrete action taken by the militaries of SCO member states to put into practice the important consensus reached by the heads of state, he said.

Strategy consultation was the first phase of the joint anti-terror military exercise, during which SCO military chiefs discussed international and regional security and SCO's defense and security cooperation and reached critical consensus on many issues, Chen said.

The process and the outcome of the strategy consultation fully reflected the high-level solidarity and mutual trust among SCO members and the solid headway made by participating militaries on drill planning and preparations, he said.

Chen believed the "Peace Mission 2010" military maneuver would be a big success thanks to the common efforts of all participating troops from different countries.

In reply to a question on the goal of the war games, Chen said it was the seventh anti-terrorism military exercise launched under the framework of SCO and also a major event in the field of deepening SCO's defense and security cooperation.

China has sent 1,000 troops, including a ground force combat group, an air force combat group and a logistics group to take part in the drills.

Based on the outcome of the consultation of all participating sides, Chen said China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan would jointly practice the command, coordination work, support and combat actions against the backdrop of a mocked regional crisis triggered by terrorism.

The militaries involved would try to improve their training standard and coordinated action through the drills, Chen added.

Chen's counterparts, namely, Saken Zhasuzakov, first deputy defense minister and chief of the staff of Kazakhstan's Armed Forces, Nikolai Makarov, chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Tajik General-Lieutenant Ramil Khalilovich Nadirov, and Kyrgyz chief of the general staff Taalaibek Omuraliev, also made speeches and answered questions at the press conference.

Source: Xinhua