Russia to hold military drill with China in September – air force chief

Interfax news agency, Moscow
27 Jun 05

Rostov-na-Donu [southern Russia], 27 June: The first joint
Russian-Chinese military exercises will take place in September this
year on China’s territory.

This was reported on Monday [27 June] by army Gen Vladimir Mikhaylov,
commander-in-chief of the Russian air force, at a news conference in
the Interfax-South agency’s press centre in Rostov-na-Donu.

“In line with an accord reached by the Chinese and Russian defence
ministers, the first Russian-Chinese exercises will take place in
September this year on China’s territory,” the commander-in-chief
noted.

He specified that it is proposed to involve “a large quantity
of aviation equipment” and also Russian air force sub-units
in the exercises. Together with this, he also reported that a
Sodruzhestvo-2005 [Commonwealth-2005] exercise would be taking place
in August this year at the Ashuluk proving ground (Astrakhan Region).
Military pilots from Russia, Armenia, Belarus and Tajikistan would
be taking part in it.