CHINA/RUSSIA: China and Russia have begun unprecedented joint military exercises intended to showcase the power of their armed forces and expanding strategic relationship.
Chinese state media suggested yesterday that the eight-day exercises, which will involve almost 10,000 troops, might help to prepare the way for future joint Sino-Russian action against "terrorism, extremism and separatism".
More immediately, the war games underscore growing strategic links between Moscow and Beijing, which have over the past 15 years largely put aside a history of bitter enmity to co-operate more closely in areas ranging from diplomacy to defence purchasing.
"Peace Mission 2005", launched in the eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok and which will involve manoeuvres in and near China's coastal province of Shandong, is also a chance for Moscow to market its military hardware to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
The PLA air force has made considerable progress in modernising its fighter wings by acquiring advanced Russian aircraft. However, it still operates relatively antiquated bombers based on older Soviet-era designs.
The use of heavy Russian bombers also underlines the scope of the exercises, which involve combined action on land, sea and in the air. Beijing and Moscow have stressed the war games are not aimed at any third party, but such protestations have not reassured Taiwan, the main focus of Chinese military development.
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has long threatened to invade the island if it tries to formalise its de facto independence.
Beijing's official Xinhua news agency yesterday quoted Sergey Goncharov, a senior Russian diplomat in Beijing, as saying the exercises were aimed at preparing for a joint fight against terrorists, separatists and extremists. Such groups had been posing a growing threat to members of the six-country Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, which also includes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The organisation has already moved to take a more high-profile diplomatic role, last month issuing a joint call for the US to set a date to withdraw its forces from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. However, analysts said there was little chance of combined action in the foreseeable future.
"Russia will not fight on China's behalf and China will not be so foolish as to ask Russia to fight on its behalf," said Shen Dingli, professor of international relations at China's Fudan University.