J-10
12-14-2004, 02:00 PM
Russia, China to Hold Joint Military Exercise in 2005
Created: 14.12.2004 02:13 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 11:14 MSK, 2 hours
China and Russia will hold their first joint military exercises on Chinese territory next year, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying in Beijing on Monday.
Ivanov met Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao, Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan Cao and Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Guo Buoxiong to discuss cooperation between China, a fast-rising military power, and its main arms and weapons-technology supplier, ******* reported.
“We have agreed that for the first time ever we will be holding substantial military exercises on Chinese territory in 2005,” Interfax quoted Ivanov as saying after talks with Cao.
Ivanov’s visit to Beijing, his second this year, comes a week after a summit of the European Union and China during which a 15-year-old EU arms embargo took the spotlight.
The EU opted against lifting the embargo despite strident calls from Beijing to abolish the embarrassing ban that was imposed after Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy protests in and around the capital’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989. The EU’s decision and the Russian defence minister’s visit to China were unlikely to be related, analysts said.
But it was an opportunity for Russia to solidify its position as China’s biggest supplier of weapons and technology, even though China has repeatedly said it has no plan to go on a buying spree if the EU arms embargo is lifted.
“If the arms embargo is lifted, they are going to clearly seek the best platforms at the best prices,” ******* quoted a diplomat in Beijing who follows military affairs.
“As soon as the competition is opened up, Russia just becomes one of many possible suppliers.”
The Federation of American Scientists said in a report this year China was “the linchpin of Russia’s arms export programme, particularly in aircraft and naval systems”.
China has been gradually overhauling its military, reducing troop numbers, revamping tactics and training and buying high-tech weapons platforms from abroad —- mostly from Russia.
China has bought Russian destroyers, missile systems, diesel-electric submarines and a slew of jet aircraft, including 24 Su-30 MKK multi-role fighters for which Beijing paid $1 billion last year.
Given the choice, however, China would probably opt to get some of its military hardware from elsewhere.
“In the absence of other major arms supplier, Beijing has no choice but to accept second best,” Yu Bin, associate professor at Wittenberg University, wrote in a recent article.
But Robert Karniol, Asia Pacific Editor with Jane’s Defence Weekly, said if the EU arms embargo were lifted, Russia would still have a lead role as China’s arms supplier.
“They are not really looking to the Europeans for platforms. They don’t go to the Europeans for submarines or destroyers or fighter aircraft in the way that they have been getting those from the Russians,” he said.
“What they want from the Europeans is largely subsystems. Radar, for example, that goes on an airplane; not the airplane itself.”
A Russian embassy spokesman said he did not know if any agreements would be signed during the visit. Ivanov arrived late on Sunday and would also spend time in the southern China beach town of Sanya, the official Xinhua news agency said.
This year, China’s official defence budget was expected to grow by almost 12 percent, or about 21.83 billion yuan ($2.64 billion), according to the finance minister’s report at the annual session of parliament in March. The overall military budget is about 207 billion yuan. ($1 = 8.28 yuan.)
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/12/14/chinarusmil.shtml
Created: 14.12.2004 02:13 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 11:14 MSK, 2 hours
China and Russia will hold their first joint military exercises on Chinese territory next year, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying in Beijing on Monday.
Ivanov met Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao, Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan Cao and Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Guo Buoxiong to discuss cooperation between China, a fast-rising military power, and its main arms and weapons-technology supplier, ******* reported.
“We have agreed that for the first time ever we will be holding substantial military exercises on Chinese territory in 2005,” Interfax quoted Ivanov as saying after talks with Cao.
Ivanov’s visit to Beijing, his second this year, comes a week after a summit of the European Union and China during which a 15-year-old EU arms embargo took the spotlight.
The EU opted against lifting the embargo despite strident calls from Beijing to abolish the embarrassing ban that was imposed after Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy protests in and around the capital’s Tiananmen Square in June 1989. The EU’s decision and the Russian defence minister’s visit to China were unlikely to be related, analysts said.
But it was an opportunity for Russia to solidify its position as China’s biggest supplier of weapons and technology, even though China has repeatedly said it has no plan to go on a buying spree if the EU arms embargo is lifted.
“If the arms embargo is lifted, they are going to clearly seek the best platforms at the best prices,” ******* quoted a diplomat in Beijing who follows military affairs.
“As soon as the competition is opened up, Russia just becomes one of many possible suppliers.”
The Federation of American Scientists said in a report this year China was “the linchpin of Russia’s arms export programme, particularly in aircraft and naval systems”.
China has been gradually overhauling its military, reducing troop numbers, revamping tactics and training and buying high-tech weapons platforms from abroad —- mostly from Russia.
China has bought Russian destroyers, missile systems, diesel-electric submarines and a slew of jet aircraft, including 24 Su-30 MKK multi-role fighters for which Beijing paid $1 billion last year.
Given the choice, however, China would probably opt to get some of its military hardware from elsewhere.
“In the absence of other major arms supplier, Beijing has no choice but to accept second best,” Yu Bin, associate professor at Wittenberg University, wrote in a recent article.
But Robert Karniol, Asia Pacific Editor with Jane’s Defence Weekly, said if the EU arms embargo were lifted, Russia would still have a lead role as China’s arms supplier.
“They are not really looking to the Europeans for platforms. They don’t go to the Europeans for submarines or destroyers or fighter aircraft in the way that they have been getting those from the Russians,” he said.
“What they want from the Europeans is largely subsystems. Radar, for example, that goes on an airplane; not the airplane itself.”
A Russian embassy spokesman said he did not know if any agreements would be signed during the visit. Ivanov arrived late on Sunday and would also spend time in the southern China beach town of Sanya, the official Xinhua news agency said.
This year, China’s official defence budget was expected to grow by almost 12 percent, or about 21.83 billion yuan ($2.64 billion), according to the finance minister’s report at the annual session of parliament in March. The overall military budget is about 207 billion yuan. ($1 = 8.28 yuan.)
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/12/14/chinarusmil.shtml