Representative images.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Image for representational purposes only. The SCO member states have a long history of effective cooperation in counter-terrorism
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Security officials from the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held the first joint anti-terrorism drill in China focussing on live drills and specialised operations such as “the eradication of terrorist groups.” The ‘Interaction-2024’ joint counter-terrorism exercises were held recently in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China’s Ministry of Public Security said.

“The exercise marks the first time the relevant agencies from all SCO member states have participated in a joint counter-terrorism live drill,” the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on July 23.

Since terrorist threats often spill over to other countries and flow around the globe, the latest large-scale SCO exercise was held to enhance the member states’ capabilities and interoperability in joint anti-terrorism operations, Global Times report said.

The latest exercise has established a new model for joint live drills by relevant agencies and enhanced the joint operational capabilities of the SCO member states’ authorities, the Ministry of Public Security said, adding, in response to significant terrorist threats, the exercise included specialized operations such as “the eradication of terrorist groups.” Photos released by the state-run media showed that soldiers and police officers fully armed with assault rifles, pistols, and riot shields launching an assault – some via armoured and all-terrain vehicles and some via helicopter with aerial drones and robot dogs – also deployed in the exercise.

Representatives from SCO member states, the SCO Secretariat, and the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure observed the exercise.

The Beijing-based SCO has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations focussing on deepening security-related cooperation with its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

Earlier this month, Belarus became the 10th official member state of the SCO that already has China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The SCO member states have a long history of effective cooperation in counter-terrorism. All the previously held anti-terrorism exercises were bilateral or multilateral but did not feature all member states, Li Wei, a research fellow and security expert from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

The latest drill reflected that all SCO member states share a common understanding of the threats posed by terrorism, Mr. Li said.

Countries in Central, South and West Asia are all facing terrorist threats from various sources, and Russia just suffered from a concert hall terrorist attack in Moscow in March, Mr. Li said, noting that China also faces potential terrorist threats, and a resurgence of terrorist activities have been observed also in other parts of the world such as Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas.

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, the most advanced homemade warship, began its maiden sea trials on May 1 as Beijing ramped up its naval power amid increasing tensions with the U.S. in the disputed South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

The ship left Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on May 1 morning for the sea trials, primarily to test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Since its launch in June 2022, the Fujian has completed its mooring trials, outfitting work and equipment adjustments. It has met the technical requirements for sea trials.

Ahead of the trials, China has imposed maritime traffic controls around the mouth of the Yangtze River where the Jiangnan shipyard ship is located for “military activities”.

The traffic controls would last till May 9, the report said.

According to the previous official media reports, China plans to have five to six aircraft carriers by 2035 for strategic deployment in the disputed South China Sea, where Beijing seeks to assert its claims over most of the vast area, the Taiwan Strait which separates the Chinese mainland and Taiwan and the Indian Ocean where Beijing is increasing its power projection.

Currently, the Chinese navy is involved in a standoff with the US-backed Philippines naval ships in the South China Sea.

The Philippines is trying to assert its claim over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea which is strongly resisted by China.

China claims most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.

China names its aircraft carriers after its provinces. Fujian borders the Taiwan Strait. The other two carriers were named after Liaoning and the Shandong provinces.

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier Shandong in 2019.

Chinese official media said Fujian is the “first fully domestically developed and constructed” aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) similar to that of the American aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford.

Fujian has a full displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes, about 20,000 tonnes more than the other two aircraft carriers.

China’s other two aircraft carriers are equipped with ski-jump take-off ramps while the Fujian features a flat-top flight deck.

China operates its indigenously built J-15 aircraft for its carriers.

In a major rejig of its military doctrine, China in 2013 stepped up the development of the navy with a massive budget while cutting down the number of army troops as part of its power projection far from its shores.

The modernisation included building several aircraft carriers besides submarines, frigates and assault ships as part of its efforts to expand its global influence.

According to an estimate, China is building almost a naval ship a month. It is helping Pakistan to modernise its navy by providing its latest naval frigates and submarines.