The armored assault group rumbles ahead to launch an assault against the forward position of mock terrorists in the China-Russia joint military exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 at a training base of the PLA Army in Qingtongxia City of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from August 9 to 13, 2021. Photo:China Military

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops to participate in the Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorism exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in September are underway to training range in western Russia via railway. 

It is believed to be the longest distance the PLA has transported troops via train to a military drill in a foreign land.

Railway allows transport of heavy equipment in large numbers, and the new record indicates the PLA's high level of capabilities in logistics support and adaptation to strange environment, experts said on Monday.

The first patch of Chinese troops to join the drill crossed the Chinese-Russian border from North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Saturday, as they continued to maneuver via railway that would see them travel more than 6,300 kilometers, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

Type 11 wheeled assault guns, Dongfeng Mengshi off-road assault vehicles and military trucks were seen loaded on the train.

The military transport department utilized newly developed all-weather auxiliary devices that feature active infrared and laser sensing technologies to assist the loading of equipment faster, safer and more accurate, CCTV reported.

The new record marks a test to PLA's long-distance railway troops transport capability, including the capabilities in logistics support and adaptation to strange environment, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Monday.

Compared with airlift, which is faster, railway can transport heavier equipment in larger volumes, analysts said.

The Peace Mission-2021 exercise of SCO member states will be held at Donguz training range in Orenburg, Russia, from September 11 to 25. It will cover training items including reconnaissance and monitoring, firepower strike, peripheral blockade and control, sweeping terrorists' dens in streets, forward defense, ground assault, as well as separation, encirclement and annihilation of terrorists, and resistance to drone attacks, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a press release on Friday. 

China is sending more than 550 troops together with 130 vehicles mainly from the PLA Northern Theater Command, according to the press release.

In a separate arrangement, China will host the first multinational peacekeeping live exercise dubbed Shared Destiny-2021 at the combined arms tactical training base of the PLA Army in Queshan county, Central China's Henan Province, from September 6 to 15, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson at the Chinese Defense Ministry, announced at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Militaries of China, Pakistan, Mongolia and Thailand will dispatch more than 1,000 troops to participate in the drills, involving units of infantry, fast response, security, helicopter, engineering, transportation, and medical services, said Tan.

At a time when the US is making its irresponsible, hasty and chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that has led to a degradation of the security situation in and around the region, as well as rallying up its allies for several drills targeting China, China's participation and hosting of anti-terrorism and peacekeeping drills shows a sharp contrast between the two countries, observers said.

China's exercises are a reflection of the responsibility and displays its capability in contributing to safeguarding regional peace and stability, Wei said.