FOR the first time, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has teamed up with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to conduct a joint counter-terrorism (CT) training exercise.

The nine-day exercise, which is held in Guilin, China, starts on Thursday and ends on June 26.

Codenamed COOPERATION 2009, the joint CT training exercise will involve 60 participating troops each from the SAF and the PLA. It will focus on the conduct of security operations for major events and consequence management concepts related to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Explosive (CBRE) threats.

The SAF's participating troops are from the 2nd People's Defence Force and the SAF CBRE Defence Group. They will exercise with personnel from the PLA Emergency Response Office and Guangzhou Military Region.

Said the Ministry of Defence: 'COOPERATION 2009 marks the first bilateral training exercise between the SAF and the PLA, and underscores the progress made in the defence relationship between Singapore and China following the signing of the bilateral Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation in January 2008.

'COOPERATION 2009 also serves to enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the SAF and the PLA, which interact regularly through exchanges of visits, courses, seminars and port calls.'