Ground, air and naval teams of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) that are scheduled to participate in the annual International Army Games starting on August 22. Venues in Korla, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that will host several contests are eagerly preparing for the event, with Chinese observers saying on Monday that the Chinese teams will exchange valuable experience with their foreign counterparts, and that they will achieve good results with the deployment of advanced new equipment.
Military participants from six foreign countries including Russia, Belarus and Egypt have arrived in Korla. The PLA Army will host and participate in three contests, involving infantry fighting vehicles, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, and nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.
Korla was a main venue for previous International Army Games, but not the 2020 one, likely due to the COVID-19 situation at that time. This year’s event shows that China is prepared and confident in related prevention and control measures, observers said.
In tank contests to be held in Russia, the PLA Army has sent Type 96B tanks that will compete with Russian-made T-72 tanks operated by other participants. After several days of railway transport, the Chinese tanks arrived in the Russian venues on Saturday, China Central Television reported on Sunday.
The PLA Navy’s Type 056 corvette Guangyuan will join contests including gun firing, damage control and maritime rescue in Russia with warships from Russia, Myanmar and Vietnam, while 50 members from the PLA Navy Marine Corps will engage in competitions in amphibious landing.
Some of China’s most advanced military aircraft, including fighter jets and transport aircraft, will make their debuts in this year’s event, namely J-10B fighter jets, J-16 fighter jets and Y-20 large transport aircraft.
This event will put these new warplanes to the test alongside other countries, as they will better represent the PLA Air Force’s latest technological and technical advances, and could expose their strengths and weaknesses when compared with others, analysts said.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Monday that the new warplanes that are participating in the games are more advanced than those the PLA Air Force sent in previous rounds. From a technical point of view, they would enjoy advantages against other participating aircraft.
With more advanced weapons and equipment being used in the games, it is expected that the Chinese teams will get good results, and they will use this opportunity to enhance exchanges with foreign militaries, learn from one another and boost the combat preparedness of the PLA, Fu said.
The International Army Games 2021 is expected to start on August 22 and run until September 4.
Chinese team takes part in the tank biathlon’s singles during the International Army Games 2020 in a suburb of Moscow, Russia, Aug. 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Tian Dingyu)
