For the second year in a row, for China allowed  military observers from foreign countries to observe some military exercises. Officers from  Brunei, the Philippines, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were invited to watch a military exercise in Henan province. A reinforced mechanized division went through several exercises. China also offers training courses for foreign officers at Chinese military colleges. China is trying to improve its relations with its neighbors, and being more open with military operations is one way to do that. These exercises, featuring elite Chinese units, also serve to show the neighbors that China's armed forces are strong, and China is not to be messed with or defied.