A People's Liberation Army inspection team visited several Russian military facilities in the Far East from June 2 to 3 as part of a routine verification exercise under 1996 and 1997 border agreements.
The inspection team visited facilities in Russia’s Eastern Military District, including an air defence missile unit in the Far Eastern Jewish Autonomous Region. Russian media agency TASS reported, citing the district command’s press office, that the activity was a routine verification under agreements signed by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The agreements comprise the 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building in the Military Field in Border Areas and the 1997 Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in Border Areas. They later evolved into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation framework. The Russian side said the Chinese delegation confirmed that the Russian Federation had fully met its international obligations and praised the effectiveness of the monitoring mechanisms established under the agreements with China. TASS reported the confirmation on Thursday.
