Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

New ground-to-air missiles add combat effectiveness to Chinese army

www.chinaview.cn 2004-06-22 19:53:18


BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- A Chinese army ground-to-air missile regiment has been equipped with missile systems that are among the world's most advanced, according to a military analyst and media reports.

Commenting on the report published on May 31 by the People's Daily, a mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, a military analyst with Xinhua said that it was the first time Chinese media published a story on the regiment.

That missile system made its debut in a military parade marking the 50th founding anniversary of New China on October 1 of 1999, noted the analyst.

China's air force set up the country's first ground-to-air missile troops in early 1958, and the army began to found its ground-to-air missile units in November 1991 in an anti-aircraft division.

The regiment is part of the Nanjing Military Area Command, which commands troops in a vast region in east China, including those in areas across the Taiwan Straits.

Those with doctorate, master and bachelor degrees account for 64 percent of the officers with the regiment, including 130 with postgraduate education, according to the report by the People's Daily. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/22/content_1542401.htm