Inspection of Border Disarmament Compliance by the China-Kazakhstan-Russia-Tajikistan Organization

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to news released by the Ministry of Defense on the 7th, a joint military inspection team composed of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan conducted a border arms reduction compliance inspection in the eastern section of the China-Russia border from May 27 to June 4. This is the first round of border arms reduction compliance inspection activities between China and the joint parties this year.

In 1996, the five countries of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan signed the "Agreement on Strengthening Military Trust in Border Areas"; in 1997, the five countries signed the "Agreement on Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in Border Areas" (collectively referred to as the "two agreements"). According to the "two agreements," the Chinese side and the joint parties (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan) conduct four rounds of eight arms reduction compliance inspections each year within a 100-kilometer range of each other's border areas regarding military forces and technical equipment.

Accompanied by Chinese personnel, a joint military inspection team of nine recently entered Russia through the Tongjiang port and first conducted a three-day border arms reduction compliance inspection of a patrol boat brigade of a certain border defense division in the Northern Theater Command. The joint inspection team listened to the Chinese personnel's introduction regarding the troops' stationing, camp distribution, and personnel presence, and then conducted on-site inspections of the brigade's equipment storage rooms and camp areas. The inspection team fully affirmed the Chinese side's compliance work and signed the inspection report.

Subsequently, a Chinese inspection team of nine entered Russia through the Zelenogorsk port to inspect a certain air defense missile brigade stationed in Birobidzhan. The results showed that its weapons and equipment, personnel composition, and deployment locations all met the requirements of the agreement.

It is understood that during the inspection process, both sides also achieved the goals of building trust, clarifying doubts, deepening cooperation, strengthening relations, and enhancing friendship through discussions, mutual visits to troops and border cities, and organizing cultural and sports exchanges, creating a good atmosphere for jointly maintaining peace and security in the border areas.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the "Agreement on Strengthening Military Trust in Border Areas" between China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Liu Jinsong, the head of the Chinese inspection team, stated that over the years, the cooperative mechanism established by the agreement has become a successful example of enhancing political mutual trust between countries and consolidating border stability, laying a solid foundation for long-term peace and common development in the region, and creating favorable conditions for the comprehensive cooperation and long-lasting friendly relations among the five countries. (Li Meng)