Chinese jet trainer participates in Russian air show: US Army Chief, Brazilian Army Chief visit China: China urges the US to respect its ‘core interests’: China sends its ninth batch of peacekeepers to Liberia
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    • The advanced jet trainer, Falcon L-15, indigenously developed by China’s Jiangxi Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, debuted at the Russia International Air Show on August 18. The show attracted over 700 astronautic and aeronautic enterprises from 34 countries. The L-15 is claimed to be a multi-purpose jet trainer exhibiting the flight performance of a combat aircraft at a low cost, with maneuverability similar to the new generation of fighters1.

    The US Army Chief Gen. George Casey visited China during the week and met with Chen Bingde, member of the Central Military Commission and Chief of General Staff of the PLA on August 20. Chen reiterated the consensus reached by President Hu and Obama on April to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship2. Ge Zhenfeng, deputy chief of the General Staff of the PLA on his part urged the US to remove obstacles in the way of beneficial mutual military ties between the two countries. Ge also urged the US to respect “China's core interests” so that favourable and conducive conditions for further military cooperation can be reached3.

    In a related development, the visiting commander of land operations of Brazilian Armed Forces, Raymundo Cerqueira also met with Chen Bingde on August 17.

    The visiting Serbian President Boris Tadic met with Hu Jintao on August 20. Both countries issued a joint communiqué pledging to forge a strategic partnership to enhance mutual ties4.

    The ninth batch of a PLA contingent of 275 soldiers left Beijing for Liberia on August 17 to join the peace-keeping mission in that country. The contingent will stay in the country for eighth months. Under the terms of a UNSC resolution, China has been sending its soldiers to Liberia since 2003. A total of 4,464 soldiers in eight peacekeeping teams on a rotational basis have been sent so far5.

    In other developments, the PLA Navy (PLAN) carried out a large scale refueling and training mission in the air space above the South China Sea. The exercise is meant to improve the open-sea combat capabilities of the aviation troops of the PLAN6.

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