Chinese Air Force Masters Midair Refueling
(Kyodo) _ A military newspaper said Wednesday the Chinese Air Force had mastered midair refueling, making China the fifth country in the world to accomplish the risky procedure.

According to the People's Liberation Army Daily, after trials since the 1990s, three warplanes doing an exercise completed the procedure in mid-August. The paper calls midair refueling risky and difficult.

"Midair refueling is an important mark for balancing capabilities for aerial warfare," the paper said. "It's also an important symbol of a country's national defense strengths."

The paper offers a play-by-play description of the successful midair refueling exercise but does not give details such as where it took place or the number of people involved. Photos with the article show two fueling aircraft trailing meters behind the aircraft getting refueled.

France, Russia, Britain and the United States can also refuel planes in midair.

China has said over the past few years it would modernize the military to compensate for downsizing the number of soldiers. Disarmament over the past 20 years has reduced the number of troops from 4.24 million in 1985 to 2.3 million in 2003.