Anti-terrorism Military Maneuver Is of Far-reaching Significance: Commentary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 13, 2003

Anti-terrorism Military Maneuver Is of Far-reaching Significance: Commentary

The actual deeds of the soldiers of the five countries fully demonstrate the determination and strength of the SCO member states in jointly attacking the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and the deepening solidarity and cooperation among various member countries.

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SCO Joint Anti-terror Drill Concludes

The anti-terrorism military maneuver jointly staged by the armed forces of the member states of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) from August 6-12 went on smoothly and was crowned with complete success. This was the first multilateral, transnational joint counter-terrorism military exercise launched by the SCO since its founding.

During the maneuver, officers of the five countries of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan gave joint command and took common actions, through the anti-terrorism military exercises, they learned from each other and thus deepened understanding and has actually strengthened the mechanism for mutual coordination and cooperation.

The maneuvering activities are of important significance in strengthening mutual trust and cooperation among member states in the military sphere, safeguarding regional security and stability and enhancing the commanding and coordinating capabilities for joint anti-terrorism operations within the framework of the Organization.

The code-named "Joint-2003" multinational military maneuver was divided into two stages, it was carried out first in Kazakhstan's border city of Ucharal and then in Ili Prefecture of China's Xinjiang.

SCO Joint Anti-terror Military Drill Continues

Hypothesis of the maneuver was: a gang of international terrorists hijacked a passenger plane and kidnapped hostages in a certain country, and violated the territorial air of the Republic of Kazakhstan; meanwhile, another gang of international terrorists sneaked into Ili, China's Xinjiang, where they set up an armed campsite, watching for a chance to create incidents of terrorist violence.

On the spot of the solemn opening ceremony and under the SCO emblematic flag which was waving high in the sky, commanders of the five countries participating in the exercise acted shoulder to shoulder, giving joint commands. In the process of the maneuver, commanding staff and army units of the participating countries carried out indoor drills in the Joint Command and conducted live practices, such as making clean-up in cities and towns, rescuing hostages, attacking terrorists' campsites and conducting joint encirclement and annihilation of terrorists.

The actual deeds of the soldiers of the five countries fully demonstrate the determination and strength of the SCO member states in jointly attacking the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and the deepening solidarity and cooperation among various member countries.

The progress from the birth of the "Shanghai Five Mechanism" in 1996 to the formal establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization two years ago is an important event marking changes in the Eurasian continental geo-political pattern, the new security concept and the new idea on inter-state relations it advocates and practices conform to the general trends of the development of regional and world situations, it has made important contributions to promoting world multi-polarization and the establishment of a new fair and reasonable international political and economic order.

SCO Joint Military Manoeuvre

The multilateral joint anti-terrorism military maneuver was aimed to implement the consensus reached by heads of state of the SCO members countries and the Shanghai Convention on Attacking Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism signed in June 2001 and was held in accordance with the Memorandum on joint counter-terrorism maneuver signed by national defense ministers of the five countries in Moscow in May this year, the countries participating in the maneuver had made lots of full preparatory work, thus ensuring success in the maneuver.

The maneuver has provided a practical platform for the member countries to learn from each other's successful experiences in the struggle against terrorism and jointly explore effective ways for fighting the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and for the international community to try to find out valuable experiences for launching multilateral anti-terrorism struggle under the new situation, it has received widespread attention from the international community.

Just as pointed out by the media of related participating countries that the SCO's first multilateral transnational joint anti-terrorism military exercise marked a new stage in the member countries' military cooperation and represented a major breakthrough made in military cooperation within the framework of the Organization;

It also indicated that today when terrorist activities seriously endanger regional security and stability, the SCO member countries, on the basis of diplomatic consultations and high-level military meetings, decided to take joint actions in the common struggle against terrorism, so as to safeguard the fundamental interests of the member countries and their people, and defend world peace and stability.

This is a commentary carried by Wednesday's People's Daily, and translated by People's Daily Online

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