India Defense reports very large scale Chinese military exercises.

The Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel and 1,000 tanks were involved in a major military exercise recently to test their ability to engage in high-technology combat.

More than 20,000 personnel participated in the exercise code-named “North Sword — 0607(S)”, organised by the PLA Beijing Area Command at a north China training base.

It was the first joint exercise involving troops from a PLA area command, the Air Force, the Second Artillery, and the Chinese People’s Armed Police, Xinhua news agency quoted military sources as saying.

A thousand tanks, armoured vehicles and troop carriers were involved in “fierce battles” on the site covering 1,000 square kilometres, it said.

The “Red Army” division was armed with information equipment and conducted a series of drills to test long-distance manoeuvrability under complicated conditions, while under assault from “Blue Army” troops, using “electromagnetic” equipment.

Thirty-five experts from the PLA’s National University of Defence were on hand to monitor and assess procedures.

Top Chinese leaders have repeatedly asked the PLA to be prepared to wage hi-tech future wars. The 2.5 million-strong PLA is concerned over Taiwan’s acquisition of high-tech weaponry, including F-16s and warships from the United States.