PLA soldiers prepare to do battle in the sports arena

Tan Yingshuai, spokesman for the PLA ground force, reacts at a news conference in Korla on Thursday.[Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

The design of the events in Korla in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is based on actual combat to truly test soldiers' combat skills, Tan Yingshuai, spokesman for the PLA ground force, said in a news conference in Korla on Thursday.

"I believe anyone who can win in the game can also guarantee victories in battlefield," Tan said.

IAG is not only a competition among different countries but a platform for exchanging combat and training concepts. The PLA ground force can use the knowledge learnt in the game to improve its routine training.

About 30,000 members of the public have the opportunity to watch four events held in Xinjiang which have been designed as a spectator sport, Tan added.