China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan have completed the final round of annual inspections under agreements aimed at limiting military forces near their shared borders, the People's Liberation Army Daily reported on Monday.
A nine-member joint military inspection team from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan entered China through Suifenhe Port on Sept. 1 to inspect the Jixi military sub-command in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
The team received briefings on the unit's location, barracks layout and staffing before inspecting its offices, warehouses and compound. It found China's compliance work met the agreements' requirements and signed an inspection report.
Earlier, a nine-member Chinese military inspection team entered Russia through Suifenhe Port to inspect Russia's 338th Guards Rocket Artillery Brigade. Its equipment, personnel and deployment sites were found to comply with the agreements.
The final round concluded this year's inspection program, which had previously covered the eastern section of the China-Russia border and the western sections of the China-Kazakhstan and China-Kyrgyzstan borders. The Chinese and joint inspection teams also held discussions and visited border cities during the latest round.
Under agreements on military confidence-building and mutual force reductions in border areas signed in 1996 and 1997, China and the four countries conduct four rounds of reciprocal inspections each year, totaling eight inspections. The checks cover military forces and equipment stationed within 100 km of their shared borders.
China completes border disarmament inspections with four neighboring countries
