China ready to host SCO anti-terror drill

China is ready to host a joint anti-terror drill among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members in August, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said on Thursday.

Geng Yansheng told a regular news briefing that preparations for the drill, Peace Mission-2014, are almost complete.

The exercise will be held from Aug 24-29 at Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in accordance with the 2014-2015 defense ministry cooperation plan among SCO members.

Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan will send armed forces by land and air in early August, Geng said.

The exercise will be the fifth multinational drill under the SCO framework and will aim at deterring the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, safeguarding regional peace and stability and improving the militaries' coordinated ability to fight terrorism, the ministry said earlier.

It does not target any other party, the ministry said.

Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are observers. Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners.