CRI听力:China Urges SCO to Get Ready to Admit New Members, Drill in August

China's Foreign Minister is telling members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization get ready for the group's expansion and open channels to absorb new members.

Wang Yi has made the call as foreign ministers of the organization meet in Tajikistan to prepare for the next SCO summit later this year.

The SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

It currently groups Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as observers.

Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are currently dialogue partners.

Meanwhile, China's Defense Ministry says it has completed the preparation work for the upcoming joint anti-terror drill among Shanghai Cooperation Organization members.

The drill, dubbed Peace Mission-2014, will be held from August 24th to the 29th at a training base in Inner Mongolia.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Geng Yansheng.

"Troops from the SCO member countries including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan will participate in the drill. China has now completed the preparations for the drill. All the participating troops are set to arrive at the training base by land, rail and air in early August."

The exercise will be the fifth multinational drill under the SCO framework.