The Chinese military launched an exercise with live ammunition code-named "Iron Fist-2004," in the Queshan Training Base in Henan Province, central China, Saturday morning.

The exercise was carried out by a reinforced mechanized infantry division in mountains in the training base of the Jinan Military Area Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Some 60 foreign military leaders, observers and officers from 16 countries observed the exercise, including Brunei, the Philippines, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

It is the first time for the PLA to invite so many high-ranking foreign military officers to observe a military exercise, which is also the largest-scale military exercise opened to foreign observers, said a Chinese officer in charge of the maneuvers. 

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2004)