Chinese, Russian Militaries to Hold First Joint Drills

[Rose Siding]

MOSCOW -- Russia and China will hold their first ever joint military exercises next week as the once wary neighbors demonstrate their willingness to cooperate in the face of the U.S. military presence in Central Asia.

The two countries also will do a little business on the side as Russia shops its hardware, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, to its military-industrial complex's best customer, Russian and Chinese defense analysts said.

The simulated land, sea and air operations are scheduled for Thursday in the Russian Far East, near the city of Vladivostok, before moving on to the Chinese coastal province of Shandong and the Yellow Sea. The two countries have held exercises before with other Central Asian republics, but this week's maneuvers are the first bilateral exercises, defense analysts said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081400927.html

[clydefrand]

1. Uh, oh! Add two more to the axis of evil! This ought to shake

up * a little. Tomorrow, he'll be threatening them and all options will be on the table!

[Skink]

3. To be overseen by Iran I guess...

[Silverhair]

2. Yawn. Not a big deal.

China is getting rich by peaceful means. Russian economy is way better than it was under the Politburo. Neither of them wants to go back to military confrontations. This sort of think helps reduce whatever level of tensions there may be between the two countries. It means very little in real terms. Mostly just symbolic.

It is a good think, for everybody. It helps pave the way for future arms reductions.

[Doremus]

4. Not worrisome so long as * doesn't step his foot in it.

In which case it could get dicey very quickly.

The term resource wars comes to mind...

[delen]

8. Not to worry

Even if * steps in it, deals will be made, if they haven't been already As long as China and Russia are assured their oil supply is safe they won't risk war with the US to save Iran.

[daleo]

9. France and Great Britain risked war to save Poland

So there is precedent.

[delen]

10. True

but they had to know they were next regardless of what they did.

[daleo]

15. China and Russia might feel the same way

The PNAC document mentions China as a strategic adversary quite a bit, if my memory serves me. Russia too, though not as much as China. So, I would think both countries have some concern in this regard, although it is probably early yet for the ultimate disaster.

[Skip Intro]

5. Powerful nations aren't going to just sit back and watch the US invade

nation after nation (especially when the world's oil reserves appear to be at stake).

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. TWO nuclear powers in Asia teaming up - 'gainst who I wunder . . .

.
.
.

From the Posted Article: (bold emphasis mine)

"In Central Asia, on the other hand, Russian and Chinese interests are very close: maintaining the status quo and pushing back against the very active U.S. presence."

The two countries have invited observers from the Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which together with Russia and China form the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

That group recently called on the United States to set a timetable to withdraw its forces from bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are used to support military operations in Afghanistan. The Uzbek authorities later gave U.S. forces 180 days to pull out, after the United States criticized the Uzbek government for suppressing demonstrators in the city of Andijan in May, leaving hundreds dead, according to human rights groups.

"The reason that China can have a joint military exercise with Russia is that mutual understanding between the two countries has reached a certain level, and this gives out a signal to neighboring countries," Ni Lexiong, a military expert who teaches at Shanghai Normal University, said in an interview with the China Times newspaper. "I believe the implied message of Peace Mission 2005 is very obvious: We are facing the same threat."
______________________________________________

ummmmmm

that "threat" ??

would that be them liberatin', democracy-spreadin' Western folks d'ya think??

[wli]

7. here comes the SCO to defend Iran

They've written off the rationality of the neocons and are probably thinking about preemptive strikes themselves.

[OKthatsIT]

11. We will get rid of Bush and his thugs before they do

[Conservativesux]

12. Is everybody ready for "Cold War-Part Deux" ?

[Mizmoon]

14. The commies are capitalists now

I'm not sure we have enough differences anymore for a nice, long cold war.

[K-W]

16. The commies were capitalists during the cold war too.

The cold war had nothing to do with ideological differences and everything to do with clashing/competing empires.

[Conservativesux]

18. They still have plenty of nukes. Economic war this time ??

I dont think we will win :(

[Tesha]

13. Ahh, for those good old days of the "Sino-Soviet Split"! (NT)

[mainer]

17. Bush DID say he was a uniter, not a divider

And look who he's united.

[MisterP]

19. say hello to the Allied Powers, Mk II