China Holds Military Training Achievements Show

China Holds Military Training Achievements Show

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) began Friday morning the largest show of military training achievements since its 1964 grand-scale contest of military skills.

The four-day show is being carried out at four sites. The primary location is a military shooting range in a Beijing suburb. The other three sites are training bases, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, used by ground forces; in the Bohai Sea, for the navy; and in northeast China, for strategic missiles troops.

President Jiang Zemin, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, watched this morning's activities at the shooting range outside Beijing.

Other spectators there included more than 100 PLA generals from various PLA military area commands, PLA services and military universities.

A PLA website is carrying footage of the three smaller-scaled shows to the observers outside Beijing.

Participating in the show are dozens of units of the ground forces, navy, and air force from various PLA military area commands, the second artillery force, the PLA services and arms, troops attached to the headquarters, the group armies and other PLA units.

More than 10,000 PLA soldiers are taking part in the show.

Helicopters, cargo transport planes, small navy vessels, tanks, armored cars, artillery, ground-to-air missiles and strategic missiles of various sorts are involved.

Several hundred PLA officials above the division commander level from the University of National Defense, National Defense Science and Technology University, the ground forces, the navy, the air force and other PLA units are assigned to the online training exchanges.

The show features the latest developments in military theoretical research, on-line training skills and field training.

The results of the PLA's online training was demonstrated in the form of contests between chiefs of staff at or above the PLA's division commander level.

The event was organized to promote the PLA's military strategy for the new era and demonstrate the PLA's preparedness for military struggle.

The field training show focuses on striking at stealth planes, cruise missiles and armed helicopters. It also deals with defense against precision targeting, electronic interference and detecting surveillance.