US military contractor to open training centres in China

The founder of US private military contractor Academi, formerly known as Blackwater, has announced that he will open security personnel training centres in China, local media reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with Chinese official daily Global Times, Erik Prince said two training centres of his new firm Frontier Services Group would initially be set up on China's border and conflict-ridden regions.

One of these centres will be located in Xinjiang, which has experienced several violent attacks over the last few years, which the government blames on Uighur separatists, Efe news reported.

The other centre will be established in Yunnan, another sensitive region for China due to its proximity to Myanmar.

Clashes between the Myanmar Army and ethnic minorities such as Kokang people have caused collateral damage on Chinese territory, as well as an influx of thousands of refugees.

The new company, headed by 47-year-old Prince -- a former US Navy SEAL -- brands itself a provider of security services to businesses operating in frontier areas.

Prince told the newspaper that his firm wants to support the development of China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which is threatened by armed conflicts across Asia.

His previous firm Academi, sold to an investment group in 2010, was accused of human rights violations during the US-led Iraq occupation during the last decade.

--IANS

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