Russia, China war maneuvers set

MOSCOW, June 23 (UPI) -- A large contingency of Chinese troops and equipment was slated to arrive in Russia this summer for a major joint military exercise.

The timetable for the Chinese deployment, reported Saturday by the Itar-Tass news service, is to have six trainloads of Chinese troops and their gear rolling into Chelyabinsk region in late July and early August.

The maneuvers, dubbed Peace Mission 2007, will involve 46 Chinese military aircraft. The Russian contingent will include 2,000 troops and their hardware.

Chelyabinski is a rural, minerals-rich region in the southern Urals. Itar-Tass said the railroad plan for Peace Mission 2007 would enable the Chinese to arrive without passing through neighboring Kazakhstan.