China, Russia start joint military exercises
(AP/Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-18 08:43
Russia and China launched their first-ever joint military exercises Thursday on a Chinese peninsula jutting into the Yellow Sea — an eight-day event that symbolizes the two countries' bolstered ties, the Associated Press reported.
"Peace Mission 2005" exercises include some 10,000 troops from land, sea and air forces.
Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky (L) and Gen. Liang Guanglie, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army shake hands at a news conference in Vladivostok, Russia Thursday, Aug. 18. 2005. [AP] |
The war games began with the chiefs of the Chinese and Russian general staffs starting strategic consultations at the Vladivostok headquarters of Russia's Pacific Fleet, Xinhua News Agency reported.
No third party targeted
The drill doesn't aim at any third party, concerns the interests of any third country or will pose threat to any country, said Liang Guanglie, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at a news conference on Thursday morning, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The participating troops will focus on the maneuvers of strategic consultations and battle planning, transportation and deployment of troops, and combat practice, said Liang.
Yury Baluyevsky, Liang's Russian counterpart, noted that the holding of the joint military exercises does not mean that the two countries want to form a military bloc in any form.
The drills aims at deeper mutual trust and friendship, and better cooperation and coordination between the two armed forces so as to improve their capabilities to deal with new challenges and threats, the two generals said.
To be more specific, the war game is aimed to get the two nations ready for a joint fight against international terrorists, national separatists and religious extremists, said Sergey N. Goncharov, charge d'affaires of the Russian Embassy in China, told Xinhua on Thursday.
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