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Russia and China launch joint military exercise, make USA nervous
Pravda ^ | 08/18/2005 | Ivan Shmelev

Posted on 08/18/2005 1:27:47 AM PDT by twinself

Russian-Chinese first-ever joint military exercise, Peace Mission 2005, will take place in the north-east of China on August 18-25. All kinds of troops, including naval forces, will be involved in the exercise. Officially, the exercise is supposed to demonstrate joint anti-terrorist measures, although even Russian and Chinese leaders say that the entire event is meant to reveal the nearing tendencies between the two countries. The news about the joint efforts made Washington feel rather nervous, taking into consideration the fact that Russia and China called upon the USA to withdraw its army bases from Central Asia before.

Vladimir Putin signed the decree to redeploy Russian troops on the Shandong Peninsula last week. The Russian command of the exercise arrived in the city of Vladivostok, the Far East of Russia, on Wednesday. Up to ten thousand military men are going to participate in the joint exercises, Deputy Commander of Russian land forces, Vladimir Moltensky, told Russia TV channel. Russia sent a group of vessels of the Pacific Navy, 17 aircraft, pursuit and cargo planes to China as well. Russian commandoes and marines will land in Shandong prior to the start of the offense, which will be coordinated with the Chinese army. Strategic bomber planes will fire cruise missiles at targets on the sea surface at the end of the event.

The fact of the military exercise itself pales in comparison with the political background, against which the event is happening. According to the Chinese ambassador to Russia, Liu Guchang, Chinese authorities view the wargames as the visible confirmation of the bilateral relations with Russia. The chairman of the Russian Chief of General Staff, Yury Baluyevsky, stated that Russia and China were cooperating within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: "There is a joint anti-terrorist center in the SCO, which estimates the general situation in the part of terrorist and separatist manifestations. I do not exclude that both Russian and Chinese armed forces can be attracted to solve these goals."

Russia and China signed a declaration at the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the beginning of July. The two countries urged the USA to specify the terms to withdraw its army bases from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Kyrgyzstan shortly after that to announce that the USA was not going to withdraw any bases from the above-mentioned republics at all.

Washington could not help expressing concerns about Russia and China's joint military efforts. The Washington Post wrote, for example, that Russia and China intend to hold the first-ever joint military exercise to demonstrate their readiness to cooperate in the face of the USA's military presence in Central Asia. American reporters wrote that China was trying to make the event take place as close to Taiwan as possible, although Russia disagreed.

Defense Minister of Russia, Sergei Ivanov, said that he was quite bewildered about Washington's concerns regarding the exercise: "We have been conducting military exercises with the USA, other NATO leaders, India and Japan for years already. Why can't we do the same with China? I do not see any reasons or contraindications for it. We have friendly relations, we are strategic partners, and the adequate military cooperation confirms it. If it raises either interest or concerns with other states, it is their problem," the minister said. Ivanov added that Russia and China plan to conduct even larger military exercises in 2006.

The joint military endeavor does look like the Russian-Chinese action to oppose the unipolar world indeed. Russia is concerned about the USA's activity near its borders, while China is preoccupied with the question of Taiwan, which still remains independent strictly because of US troops. The US administration prefers to entirely disregard Russia's point of view: the current military initiative gives Russia an opportunity to make the USA pay attention to its requirements.

It is noteworthy that Russia and China have similar problems with extremists in Chechnya and in Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region. It therefore gives more reasons to intensify the military cooperation. Nevertheless, the Russian administration is quite concerned about the ongoing expansion of Chinese citizens in Russia's Far East and Siberia. Despite the anti-American statements released by separate Chinese leaders, the USA still remains commercial partner No.1 for China. The military exercise is most likely meant to play the role of a tactical step, from which Russia and China will probably benefit in the future.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: china; putin; russia; wargames
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1 posted on 08/18/2005 1:27:48 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself
The news about the joint efforts made Washington feel rather nervous,

Oh, yes, quaking in our boots... A big yawn is the reaction I see.

What's that you say, another sub needs help? Call the Chinese.

2 posted on 08/18/2005 1:30:45 AM PDT by konaice
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To: twinself
Ok, fire up all the B-2's,f-117's & F-22's with heavy weapons... :D
Guess that would makes them all a little nervous...
3 posted on 08/18/2005 1:32:07 AM PDT by Echo Talon (http://echotalon.blogspot.com)
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To: konaice
Yea, we are scared of their subs that keep getting stuck in fishing nets. :D
4 posted on 08/18/2005 1:33:41 AM PDT by Echo Talon (http://echotalon.blogspot.com)
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To: twinself

Nervous? Not nearly as nervous as the Russians are. The Ruskies are like the nervous virgin about to lose her virginity, they know the Chinese are going to take it sooner or later.


5 posted on 08/18/2005 1:34:30 AM PDT by cynicom
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To: Jeff Head; Dog; Shermy; backhoe; All

"Russia and China launch joint military exercise, make USA nervous"

Well, lets see here.
The source is "Pravda."
Tokyo Rose would know
that this is propaganda.

Sooo, looking at it realistically
it seems Russia IS a tad nervous.
And so it goes...


6 posted on 08/18/2005 1:36:52 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: twinself

Oh I love the name of THIS exercise, "Peace Mission 2005", LMAO!!!

How about some other "exercises":

Inevitable attack/invasion of Taiwan?

Hey, it's "Operation Assist Our Brothers 2006"

The continued Russian sale of nuclear technology to the Iranians?

"Project 'We Bring Good Things To Light'" (w/apologies to GE)

And let's not forget their little penile digit Kim Jong Il in North Korea, with his death and extermination labor camps,

"The Juche Full Employment Initiative"

Yeah, "Peace and Freedom" my azz.


7 posted on 08/18/2005 1:37:56 AM PDT by Mad Mammoth (Gunny Ermey: "What do you MEAN, IF Jesus was a Marine? He IS a MARINE! The Toughest One Of Em All!")
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To: cynicom

Absolutely.


8 posted on 08/18/2005 1:40:32 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself

Screw em, tiny minded socialist ants, oh yeah, my knees iz kanonockain mama....Pravda almost as worthless as the NYTimes


9 posted on 08/18/2005 1:41:27 AM PDT by wildcatf4f3 (whats wrong with a draft?)
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To: twinself

W should announce the building of a "Better Dead Than Red DoomsDay Weapon."


10 posted on 08/18/2005 1:44:12 AM PDT by Solamente
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To: twinself

Unfazed or Nervous?

Chinese war games leave US unfazed
Posted by twinself
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1464903/posts

"State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters that the US has been "advised" about the Chinese-Russian exercises and "we are following the exercises."

But he said that the US would not be observing the joint Chinese-Russian exercises.

He asserted that the White House expects the exercises "will be conducted in a manner that supports the mutual goal of regional stability shared by the US, Russia and China."

Asked whether the US is concerned about the planned exercise in view of Russia's increasing supply of sophisticated weapons to China, McCormack said only, "we would hope that anything they do is not something that would be disruptive to the current atmosphere in the region."


11 posted on 08/18/2005 1:46:39 AM PDT by endthematrix ("an ominous vacancy"...I mean, JOHN ROBERTS now fills this space!)
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To: twinself
Russia and China launch joint military exercise, make USA nervous

LOL! Pravda is taking up where Dan Rather left off...fake but accurate.
12 posted on 08/18/2005 1:47:42 AM PDT by Liberty Valance (Why? Ask Jamie Gorelick)
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To: endthematrix

It's better to sit quiet officially and prepare a good political counter or to shake the hatchet? All depends which solutuion do you support. Consider the following:

1. Strategic alliance of Russia and China against the only global superpower is a fact
2. Chinese dependance on American market in a fact
3. Chinese dependance on Russian resources is a fact
4. Future dominance of China over far east Siberia will be a fact within a decade


13 posted on 08/18/2005 1:56:05 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself

Some estimates are that there are 20 million legal and illegal Chinese living in Eastern Russia. There is a huge section of Siberia that was originally Chinese and they have never accepted Russian dominance.


14 posted on 08/18/2005 1:59:50 AM PDT by cynicom
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To: cynicom

That's why Russian leader tries to make friendly gestures towards China. He knows that in a longer term Chinese will be the winners in that region (when they finally turn Japan multiplied by 10). He would gladly support Taiwan take over by China - it would cost him just about nothing.


15 posted on 08/18/2005 2:05:21 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself

But East Siberia will be the next prey - in a way of economic and demographic conquest, not a military conflict (Russia still got rusty nukes to scare her neighbours).


16 posted on 08/18/2005 2:15:54 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself

Two wrongs don't make a right!


17 posted on 08/18/2005 2:20:52 AM PDT by Pro-Bush (Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.)
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To: Pro-Bush

Yeah but they do make much of noisy hum about how powerful they are.


18 posted on 08/18/2005 2:23:39 AM PDT by twinself
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To: twinself
I think we'd "F" them up pretty bad, if provoked. I am of the thinkers that we got weapons in space. ..Shhh!
19 posted on 08/18/2005 2:27:40 AM PDT by Pro-Bush (Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.)
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To: Pro-Bush

They surely know that, too. And I would guess Japanese also hide some nasty gadgets behind their smiling faces just in case Russians and Chinese changed their minds about peaceful co-existence in the region.


20 posted on 08/18/2005 2:34:37 AM PDT by twinself
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