BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will send personnel to participate in the strategic exercise “Kavkaz-2020” to be held from September 21 to 26 in Russia’s Astrakhan Region.

Participating troops from the PLA’s Western Theater Command, as well as wheeled equipment and light weapons, are to be delivered by China’s new-type military transport aircraft. They will participate in phased drills including mobile defense and annihilation, joint firepower striking, all-dimensional assaulting and surrounding, and battlefield situation stabilizing and controlling.

Apart from China, multiple countries including Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan will also send troops to participate in the exercise.

At this critical moment when countries around the world are joining hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s participation in the exercise aims to further develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in a new era, deepen the pragmatic cooperation in military training between the two sides, and boost the capacities of military forces from different countries to jointly deal with security threats and safeguard regional peace and stability.

The exercise is not targeted at any third party, nor does it have anything to do with the regional situation.