The Chinese foreign ministry says more than 10,000 soldiers from China and Kyrgyzstan will take part in a joint military exercise along the border area next month.

It said the exercise - which is the first of its kind between the two countries - demonstrated the will of China and Kyrgyzstan to jointly combat militant groups on their territories.

A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the manoeuvres would also represent the first bilateral military exercise of this kind within the Shanghai Co-operation Group, which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service