There were some reports earlier that the China-Russia joint military exercises were changed to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan. The Russian army chief categorically denied this.

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhuanet) — Visiting Russian army chief said here Thursday that the preparing Russian and Chinese joint military exercise is not targeted at any third country.

“The first joint military exercise is a new way of cooperation between the two militaries,” said Yury Baluyevsky, Russian chief of general staff, who is on his first trip abroad since he took upthe post last July.

Instead of being targeted at any third country, the exercise scheduled to take place in autumn this year is aimed at “improvingthe training capabilities of the two militaries and boosting theircooperation,” Baluyevsky told reporters after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie Thursday afternoon.

Baluyevsky will also meet with Chinese state and military leaders Friday before he leaves Beijing for Sanya, a seaside resort in southern Hainan Province.

He said that the two sides have some details to further discuss.

Russia and China also agreed on the make-up of the troop, arms and equipment and military methods involved in the training.

“Russian paratroopers, marines and other forces will take part in the exercise,” he said.

Russian and Chinese military leaders are also expected to attend this exercise.

But Russia is against Taiwan seceding, that is true. The Russian paper Kommersant believes China is bluffing by doing these exercises with Russia. More about the whole situation in my previous post. China is definitely something to be watching now.

And has anyone noticed that all the countries supporting China’s anti-secession law have secession problems themselves?

UPDATE: So far, Drudge has the article I was talking about.

MOSCOW, March 17. (RIA Novosti)-Yesterday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Yury Baluyevsky left for China to settle a scandal over the first Russian-Chinese military exercise, Commonwealth-2005, which is due to be held this fall off the Yellow Sea coast, writes Kommersant.

The initial plans were to practice operational teamwork in combating terrorism during the exercise. However, Beijing, skillfully changing the format of the exercise, has tried to re-orient the two countries’ armies to practicing an invasion of Taiwan.

The choice of where the exercise will take place became a stumbling block. The Russian military selected the Xinjiang-Uigur autonomous region, basing their choice on the area’s problematic nature due to Uigur separatists and its proximity to Central Asia, which has become an arena in the fight against international terrorism. However, Beijing flatly rejected the proposal. Instead, it suggested the Zhejiang province near Taiwan.

A joint exercise in this area would look too provocative and trigger a strong reaction not only from Taiwan but also America and Japan, which recently included the island in the zone of their common strategic interests.

Beijing is trying to use Russia as an additional lever of pressure on the disobedient island to show it that its policy is also causing dissatisfaction in Russia, from which the Taiwanese are expecting assistance in their dialogue with Beijing and bid to join the WTO and the UN.

On the Russian military’s insistence, the exercise was shifted north to the Shangdong peninsula. However, the Chinese are trying to change the format of the exercise with proposals to enlarge the contingents with Marines and Pacific Fleet warships. Marine landings to seize the area will be practiced during the “antiterrorist” exercise.

Russia’s agreement to hold the exercise will inevitably cause a furor in America, Japan and Taiwan. But a refusal will spoil relations with China, which three months ago courteously agreed to Russia’s proposal to hold an exercise.

Will get the permalink when it becomes available. Looks like it will be at RIA Novosti.