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Russia and China to Hold 2005 Joint Maneuvers
Posted under China, since they will "host"...Once-bitter rivals Russia and China will hold a massive joint military exercise on Chinese territory next year involving submarines and possibly strategic bombers, Russia's defense minister said Monday as the two nations move to bolster already burgeoning military ties. Many observers saw the announcement as Russia's response to a spat with the United States and other Western nations over the disputed election in Ukraine, Russia's neighbor, where the Kremlin-backed candidate trailed a pro-Western politician in near-final results. "For the first time in history, we have agreed to hold quite a large military exercise together with China on Chinese territory in the second half of the year," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a Cabinet session chaired by President Vladimir Putin, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. "The Russian side will not bring big numbers of servicemen, but mostly state-of-the art weapons - navy, air, long-range aviation, submarines - to practice interaction with China in different forms of military maneuvers." After decades of rivalry, Moscow and Beijing have developed what they call a strategic partnership since the Soviet collapse. China has become the No. 1 customer for Russia's struggling defense industry, purchasing billions of dollars worth of fighters, missiles, submarines and destroyers. Officials with Russia's state arms-trading company, Rosoboronexport, said last week that China was expected to sign new contracts next year to purchase Russia's most advanced fighter jets. Both nations frequently have spoken about their adherence to a "multipolar world," a term that refers to their opposition to a perceived U.S. domination in global affairs. And there you have it. Tsar Putty and the ChiComs. Posted by: .com 2004-12-28 |
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