Russian choppers in China for multinational drills

Chinese People’s Liberation Army cadets take part in a bayonet drills at the PLA’s Armored Forces Engineering Academy Base, in the outskirt of Beijing, China Tuesday, July 22, 2014. AP

BEIJING—Russian army helicopters have landed in northern China to take part in multinational anti-terrorism drills, underscoring the close ties between Beijing and Moscow despite tensions with the West over Ukraine.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Monday that eight transport choppers landed Sunday night at China’s largest and most modern training base, located in Inner Mongolia.

Russia is dispatching about 900 troops to take part in next week’s “Peace Mission-2014” drills involving more than 7,000 personnel. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are also participating.

China and Russia have set aside their competition for regional influence to challenge the global order dominated by the United States and its allies in the West.

The drills are organized by the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Central Asian grouping dominated by China and Russia.