Russian airborne troops to visit China for skills exchange

MOSCOW - A group of Russian paratroopers have left for Beijing to exchange skills and knowledge with their Chinese counterparts, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"During the visit, the Russian military delegation will familiarize itself with the training and resources facilities of the school of Chinese People's Liberation Army's Air Force," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Yevgeny Meshkov as saying.

He added that the visit would last for five days.

Earlier in May, Chinese and Russian naval forces conducted Joint Sea-2014 drills in the East China Sea, which were inspected by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The drills were aimed at improving the capacity of China and Russia in coping with maritime security threats.

More joint China-Russia military exercises will be held in 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

At Moscow's invitation, China will also participate in the Second Tank Biathlon Championships late this summer.

The Russian and Chinese armed forces annually hold joint drills to upgrade their coordination in addressing potential challenges in Central Asia.