MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) – Chinese and Russian police held a joint anti-terrorism drill in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The joint drill will certainly strengthen their [police officers'] resolve and capability to fight terrorism," Ma Ming, vice chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and head of the region's Public Security Department, said as quoted by Xinhua.
"Maintaining the stability of the border region has significant meaning for the [Russia-China] bilateral relationship," Ma stressed, noting that criminal activities at the Chinese-Russian border, including smuggling and drug dealing, have recently increased.
The anti-terror drill was held by police from Inner Mongolia and Russia's border city of Zabaikalsk and involved hostage rescue planning and physical competitions, according to Xinhua.
At the end of August, a large-scale anti-terror drill, involving armies from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) five member states - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - took place in Inner Mongolia. The SCO drill had some 7,000 participants.
