China, Kazakhstan hold anti-terrorism drill

Friday, August 25, 2006 - China and the Central Asian energy power Kazakhstan held a joint "anti-terror" drill involving armed helicopters and anti-riot vehicles on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency cited police officials as saying.

In a display of growing security ties between the two countries, around 700 police personnel were taking part in the second phase of joint exercises in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang, Xinhua cited the police as saying.

The drill, part of a three-day exercise which began in Kazakhstan's Almaty region on Thursday, aimed at maintaining security and stability across the border, Xinhua cited an official from the Ministry of Public Security as saying.

The exercise was the first of its kind undertaken by the two countries under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups Russia and China with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Xinhua said.

Those taking part would simulate a battle in which the enemy would be forced into a narrow valley. Both traditional and modern methods of combat would be used, it said.

Law enforcement bodies and special forces from the two countries have also taken part in the exercises, according to Xinhua.

Kazakhstan shares a 1,700-km (1,060-mile) border with Xinjiang, where the Uighur population has bridled under Beijing's strict controls on Islamic religion and culture.

Late last year, Kazakhstan began sending oil to energy-famished China along a new pipeline. The vast Central Asian state's oil output is expected to nearly triple to 3.5 million barrels per day by 2015, making Kazakhstan an increasingly important player among world oil producers.