Chinese soldiers head to Russia for anti-terrorism drills

BEIJING (AFP) - A Chinese army unit flew to Russia Sunday for a series of anti-terrorism drills that aims to cement growing security cooperation in Central Asia, state media reported.

China is sending 16 transport helicopters and 16 armed choppers as part of exercises next month in Russia's Ural Mountains and in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang province, Xinhua news said.

Dubbed "Peace Mission 2007" the war games will be the second time the six members of the fledgling Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have jointly held military drills.

Led by former Cold War foes China and Russia, all six members of the SCO, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will participate in the drills involving a total of 6,000 troops and 36 aircraft.

The SCO grew out of a regional effort in the mid-1990s to reduce military forces among common borders. It later came to involve anti-terrorism efforts and cooperation in the economic and energy fields.

The organization is China's most concerted effort at promoting a regional multilateral forum, but some Western critics say it is ultimately aimed at countering US influence in Central Asia.