Combining forces

Joint battle exercise held in the deserts of Xinjiang help Chinese and Kyrgyz armed units improve their anti-terrorism capabilities.

On the morning of Aug 11, harsh sunlight beat down on the Gurbantunggut Desert, illuminating Bogda Peak in the distance. At about 6 pm, special force members abseiled out of four helicopters passing over the Tianshan Mountains.

This was the opening maneuver off the Sino-Kyrgyzstan "Cooperation 2019" joint anti-terrorism exercises, which began with a comprehensive series of desert battle drills in the north of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.