China sends soldiers to Russia for snowy mountain challenge
- A team of 11 is heading to the Western Sayan range for a gruelling series of exercises including avalanche rescue skills
- Analyst says PLA will be learning from Russian military practice in extreme conditions
According to China’s defence ministry, 11 soldiers from the Harbin-based 78th Group Army unit under Northern Theatre Command will travel to Russia on Friday to take part in a 50km (31-mile) trek through the Western Sayan mountain range. Challenges will include locating someone caught in an avalanche, fixed rope descent and rescue, as well as shooting and grenade exercises.
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The Sayan March competition, from April 14-17, is the first of 34 exercises taking place within the framework of this year’s International Army Games. It is the first time China has taken part in this preliminary stage of the competition.
Team leader Cui Yingbin told military newspaper The PLA Daily that China aimed to check its level of combat readiness through the games. “By competing on the same stage with servicemen from various countries, we can not only further test the level of our military’s combat readiness, but also enhance mutual friendship and deepen military exchanges and cooperation between countries.”
The report also quoted Xu Bing, one of the 11 selected soldiers, who said all the Chinese participants were determined to perform well in the competition.
China has a tradition of turning to Russia in developing its military prowess, from hardware design to the structure of its armed forces. The Sayan March competition is an opportunity to learn more about Russian practices in extreme conditions, according to Hong Kong based military analyst Song Zhongping.
“China has to deal with its border dispute with India, and the battlefield in the Tibetan plateau has extremely cold weather and high altitude. China needs to gain experience to tackle new tensions and prepare its response to provocations from India too,” said Song, a former PLA instructor.
“What’s more, the Chinese military’s missions have expanded from safeguarding its national interests to protecting overseas interests as well, which would cover places with rough conditions and extreme weather.”
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Beijing has also improved cooperation with Russia – especially on the military front – whenever China has faced setbacks in its relations with the major Western democracies. In December, the two countries signed a 10-year extension to their agreement on mutual launch notifications of ballistic missiles and space rockets.
China also took part last year in Russia’s International Army Games, as well as the Kavkaz-2020 large scale military exercise. The two countries held their second joint aerial strategic patrol in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea in December. Their first joint patrol of the area took place in July 2019.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between the two countries.
