Chinese, Belarusian armies to hold joint anti-terrorism exercise

Chinese troops participating in the China-Belarus "Eagle Assault-2024" joint army training arrive at an air force base in Belarus
Photo: Chinamil

Belarus and China will hold joint counterterrorism drills from July 8-19 in the Eastern European country, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"Servicemen of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army have arrived in Belarus. The soldiers will take part in a joint counterterrorism exercise which will take place from July 8-19," the ministry said in a statement.

The drills are aimed at exchanging best practices and laying the foundation of Belarusian-Chinese cooperation for joint training of troops, according to the statement.

The Chinese and Belarusian armies will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise shortly after Belarus officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with experts saying on Sunday that the drill will contribute to regional peace and stability, writes ‘The Global Times’.

Based on an annual plan and the consensus reached by the two countries, the militaries of China and Belarus will hold the Eagle Assault-2024 joint army exercise near the city of Brest in Belarus from early to mid-July, China's Ministry of National Defense announced in a press release on Sunday.

With a background of an anti-terrorism mission, participants from the two sides will hold mixed training exercises and practice tasks such as hostage rescue and anti-terrorism operations, with the aim of enhancing the participating troops' training level and interoperability, and deepening the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries' armies, the Chinese press release said.

According to a press release from the Belarusian Defense Ministry on Saturday, military personnel from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have arrived in Belarus to participate in the joint anti-terrorism exercise scheduled from July 8 to 19.

The joint exercise will allow for the exchange of experience, the coordination of Belarusian and Chinese units, and the establishment of a foundation for further development of Belarusian-Chinese relations in the field of joint military training, said the Belarusian press release.

Photos released by the Belarusian Defense Ministry show the PLA troops arriving in Belarus on a Y-20 strategic transport aircraft of the PLA Air Force.

The joint drill was announced after Belarus officially jointed the SCO on Thursday, becoming its 10th member state, the Xinhua News Agency reported on the day.

With anti-terrorism being the theme, the joint exercise is conducive to peace and stability from non-traditional security threats in Eastern Europe, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

Under the framework of the SCO, it is believed that China and Belarus will enjoy deeper cooperation in security and defense, the expert said.

Focusing on counter-terrorism operations, soldiers from both sides will be assigned to mixed groups to jointly carry out hostage rescue and counter-terrorism operations.

The joint training aims to enhance the coordination capabilities of the participating troops, and deepen practical cooperation between the two armies.

The Chinese participating troops are selected from a brigade under the PLA 80th Group Army. They have conducted intensive training on individual combat skills and unit tactical coordination before setting off.

According to the commander of Chinese participating troops, the joint training will allow the two sides to learn from each other, enhance their operational proficiency, and further deepen military exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

This is not the first time the PLA joined an event in Belarus this month, as the PLA Guard of Honor just participated in the military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Belarusian liberation in the capital city of Minsk on Wednesday, the PLA Daily reported on Thursday.

Both events showed that the PLA is capable of rapid troop transportation in case of security emergencies, observers said.

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