Some 40 military observers and attaches from 24 countries will be invited to watch a military drill of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday, sources with China's Defense Ministry said Monday.

The exercise, code-named "North Sword-2005", will be launched in Zhurihe, an exercise base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

It is the PLA-held military drill with largest members of foreign observers.

The foreign military observers, mainly officers of paratroops and armored forces, are from Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"The exercise can play a positive role for the Chinese and foreign armed forces to learn from each other, promote mutual trust and understanding, and deepen friendship and cooperation, "said a Chinese officer in charge of the maneuvers.

Source: Xinhua