A tank of the "blue army" maneuvers toward the battle field during the exercise code-named "North Sword 2005" at the Zhurihe training base, a tactical drill base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2005.

China on Tuesday launched a military exercise code-named "North Sword 2005" in a training base in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Forty foreign military officers from 24 countries were invited to observe the exercise at the Zhurihe training base, a tactical drill base in Inner Mongolia.

The exercise was an important multilateral military exchange activity with the presence of the largest number of foreign observers since the founding of New China in 1949, said a Chinese defense official.

The exercise demonstrates the sincere wish of the Chinese army to develop friendly cooperation with foreign armies, said Jia Xiaoning, deputy director of the Chinese Defense Ministry's Foreign Affairs Office.

It will also help enhance mutual trust and understanding, deepen friendship and cooperation, and promote international and regional security cooperation, Jia said.

Jia said the exercise was aimed at fully displaying the new concept of security based on "mutual trust and benefit, equality and cooperation."

It is the fifth time for China to invite foreign observers to watch its military exercises since 2000. The North Sword 2005 drill, which involves about 16,000 soldiers, has invited the largest number of foreign observers.

"The Chinese army is becoming more open and transparent," said Peng Guangqian, a major general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

"Such openness and transparency is a refution against the 'China threat' rhetoric," said Peng, who is also a research fellowwith the PLA's Military Academy of Sciences. "Facts have proved that China does not constitute any threat to any country, instead China is a major force in safeguarding world peace and stability."

After the war game, Chinese and foreign military officers will hold academic discussions at the drill base, according to defense sources.

PLA-related military exercises since 2000

The following are military exercises that the Chinese armed forces held with foreign armed forces or those that invited foreign military personnel to observe in recent years.

-- Nov. 2002, China

The PLA invited the US military personnel to view the attack and strike exercise by a motorized infantry brigade of Nanjing Military Command against defending enemies in the context of a simulated field positional warfare.

-- Oct. 10 to 11, 2002, China-Kyrgyzstan

The PLA and the armed forces of Kyrgyzstan held a joint anti-terror military exercise on the border of the two countries. It was the first time for China to hold a military maneuver with foreign military forces and also the first bilateral anti-terror exercise conducted by members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

-- Aug. 6 to 12, 2003, SCO member nations

Armed forces from five SCO member countries including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan took part in a joint anti-terror exercise named "Coalition 2003". It was the first exercise of its kind within the framework of the SCO and also the first time China participated in multilateral joint military maneuvers.

-- Aug. 25, 2003, China

China, for the first time, invited 27 foreign military observers from 15 countries to watch military maneuvers at its largest tactical drill base in Inner Mongolia, aiming to introduce Chinese armed forces to the world and strengthen cooperation with foreign armed forces.

-- Oct. 22, 2003, China-Pakistan

On Oct. 22, 2003, Chinese and Pakistani naval forces conducted a joint search and rescue exercise off the coast of Shanghai in the East China Sea. It was the first time Chinese naval forces held a joint exercise with a foreign counterpart since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

-- Nov. 14, 2003, China-India

Chinese and Indian naval forces conducted a joint search and rescue exercise off the coast of Shanghai in the East China Sea, the first between the two armed forces.

-- March 16, 2004, China-France

Chinese navy held its first-ever maritime drills with its French counterpart, off the coast of East China's Qingdao city.

-- June 20, 2004, China-Britain

Chinese and British navies held joint maritime exercise for the first time, off the coast of East China's Qingdao city.

-- Aug. 6, 2004, China-Pakistan

The PLA and the Armed Forces of Pakistan held an anti-terrorism exercise at Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Uygur Autonomous Region, bordering Pakistan.

-- Aug. 28, 2004, China-India

Chinese and Indian frontier troops held a joint mountaineering training, the first of its kind between the two armed forces, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

-- Sept. 2, 2004, China

Some 50 servicemen from China and abroad observed an amphibian landing exercise in Shanwei of south China's Guangdong Province. The group consisted of military observers from France, Germany, Britain and Mexico.

-- Sept. 25, 2004, China

About 60 foreign military officers from 16 countries observed a practice with live ammunition code-named "Iron Fist-2004" in the Queshan Training Base in central China's Henan Province.

-- Oct. 2004, China-Australia

Chinese and Australian navies held joint maritime exercise off the coast of East China's Yellow Sea.

-- Aug. 18-25, 2005, China-Russia

China and Russia held their first joint military exercises, code-named Peace Mission 2005. The one-week maneuvers, which involved 10,000 troops from the two countries, started in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East and later moved to east China's Shandong Peninsula.

Source: People's Daily/Xinhua