Anti-terrorism drill held in Hohhot

• Source: The Global Times
• [07:14 June 10 2009]
• Comments

By Li Xiaoshu

Special police force officers inspect a “dirty bomb” during yesterday's drill in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photo: Zheng Huansong

China launched an anti-terrorism drill yesterday in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Great Wall No. 6 exercise began with an assumed mission to combat nuclear dirty bomb attacks arranged by a group of “terrorists” hidden near the city square, the report said.

Local police assaulted the shelter and confronted the terrorists, who exploded a nuclear dirty bomb.

The region’s anti-terrorism departments worked with forces from public security bureaus, the armed police, environmental protection bureaus and health departments to carry out safety checks, it said.

The drill was designed to ensure the nation’s ability to handle public security contingencies amid ceremonies for its 60th anniversary, the Ministry of Public Security said last week.

The next missions will be held in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, and Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, and will focus on urban terrorist attacks and chemical factory explosions, Phoenix TV reported yesterday.

Cai Changjun, an anti-terrorism expert, said that anti-terrorism measures held during the National Day period will be much tougher, as the ceremonies, especially the scheduled military parade, will be in the open, the Shanghai Morning Post reported yesterday.

“The drill not only shows China’s determination to maintain its social stability, but also raises public awareness of anti-terrorism,” he said.

There will be other minor drills before National Day, he said.

Li Wei, director of the Anti- Terrorism Institute at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said there is no existing threat to China’s overall national security, Wen Wei Po reported Monday.

“China should be concerned about three powers: the East Turkistan Terrorists, the splitists in Tibet and people with extreme social dissatisfaction,” he said, without elaborating.

“The country lacks practical experience in tackling terrorism, so drills are an effective way of finding out loopholes within the system and will eventually strenghen weak links.”

Similar annual exercises have been held since 2003.

China launched a series of anti-terrorist drills at the national level on June 11, 2008 to try and ensure security for the Beijing Olympics.