The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

have been the “first” such event for the PAP, differing
from the land-based PLA exercise in February. The
two events in August were more like functional drills
than full-fledged exercises. It would not be surprising
for more such low-level, short emergency drills to be
conducted along border areas between government
forces without much media attention.
The exercises on the Russian border received minimal
media coverage, as did two other combined exercise
Chinese forces participated in April and May.
Four more combined exercises in June and July received
much greater coverage and scored several
more “firsts” for China.
Chinese troops (possibly a small element of an
SOF unit) were among the supporting elements in
the “Nurek-Antiterror-2009” exercise held in April
at Fakhrabad, south of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Russian
and Tajik troops formed the main exercise contingent,
while Kazakhstan, China, and Kyrgyzstan sent fewer
personnel. The scenario required the SCO troops using
combat aircraft, helicopters, and armored vehicles
to rescue hostages taken by terrorists who had entered
Tajikistan from Afghanistan. 55 No details are available
about the role played by the Chinese force in this
exercise.
In May, a 20-man contingent from the from the
China International Search and Rescue Team and
China Emergency Fire Rescue Team traveled to Moscow
to participate in the “Bogorodsk Disaster Relief
Exercise.” This event was called “the first joint disaster
relief exercise to be held since the establishment of
the SCO.” 56 The Search and Rescue Team is composed
of personnel from the China Earthquake Administration,
a PLA engineering unit, and the PAP General
Hospital. 57 The Fire Rescue Team is composed of
399