BEIJING, Aug. 5 -- According to the news from Russian Eastern Military Region, a train carrying the Chinese PLA Army team and its equipment has arrived at the Zabaikalsk railway station in the Trans-Baikal Territory on August 4, 2020, to participate in the Tank Biathlon competition of the annual International Army Games (IAG).

This team includes 27 Army soldiers and 18 armored and wheeled vehicles. It is learned that all the Chinese military members have undergone the tests for the COVID-19.They were warmly welcomed at the railway station by the Russian side with bread and salt in a traditional way.

The 6th International Army Games will be held in Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Uzbekistan from August 23 to September 5, involving more than 160 teams from 30 countries.

There will be 31 competitions for IAG 2020, of which Tank Biathlon is considered as the highlight. This is the 7th time that PLA Army’s armored force has participated in the competition since 2014, with the second place as best result for three times. This year’s contestants are assigned to a brigade under the PLA 78th Group Army.

"At such a critical moment in fighting COVID-19, the Chinese military's participation in Russia's IAG aims to further strengthen the strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries and deepen their practical cooperation in military training," Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for Ministry of National Defense of China, said at a news briefing on July 30.