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Russia, China fight over location of military exercises

A major row erupted between China and Russia over the location for joint military exercises, a Russian newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the Kommersant daily, the Russian military had suggested the Xinjiang autonomous region of China, because of the area's problem with Uighur separatists and its proximity to Central Asia, a focus for the international fight against terrorism.

However, Beijing flatly rejected the proposal, and instead suggested Zhejiang Province near Taiwan.

Exercises in this area, the Kommersant noted in its report, "would look too provocative and trigger a strong reaction not only in Taiwan, but in the United States and Japan, which recently included the island in their zone of common strategic interests."

"Beijing is trying to use Russia as an additional lever of pressure on the disobedient island," it said.

However, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday that the two countries had agreed on details of their first joint military exercise, to be held in autumn, after Russian Chief of General Staff Yury Baluyevsky met his Chinese counterpart,Chief of General Staff Liang Guanglie (梁光烈), in Beijing.

Xinhua said the two generals had agreed on the make-up of troops, arms and equipment for the military exercise.

Due to the Russia's insistence, the exercise was shifted north to the Shandong Peninsula, the Kommersant said.

Baluyevsky said the exercise was aimed at boosting cooperation between the militaries of the two countries and improving training capabilities, reflecting closer ties between the two countries, Xinhua said.

"Russian paratroopers, marines and other forces will take part in the exercise," Baluyevsky was quoted as saying.

Liang also praised what he called the strengthening strategic partnership between China and Russia, Xinhua reported.

"Closer cooperation and exchanges between the two armies are of great importance in promoting the cooperation between the two countries and maintaining regional and international security," Liang was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The joint exercises had originally been planned for last August.

The exercises will involve Il-76 transport planes carrying paratroopers, Tu-95MS strategic bombers firing cruise missiles at simulated targets in the sea and Su-27SM fighter jets simulating coverage of ground forces, according to Russian media reports.

The exercises are seen as part of Russia's desire to strengthen military cooperation with China, in response to the cooling of relations with the US and other Western nations. China, for its part, has been courting oil-rich Russia as it seeks to diversify its energy sources to feed its booming economy.

Russian military officials have said they also hope to encourage China to buy the bombers involved in the training.

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