AFP 14 Dicembre 2008

BEIJING — Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for stronger military ties with Russia in talks with visiting Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, state media reported.

"As the strategic partnership between China and Russia develops, the relationship between the two militaries has also continued to become more consolidated and stronger," Xinhua news agency quoted Hu as saying.

With next year's 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations approaching and economic relations between them at historic highs, the two nations should also advance ties in other areas, Hu said.

"I hope ... to advance the China-Russian strategic partnership and the relationship between the two militaries from a new historical starting point to better and faster development toward the future," he was quoted as saying.

Following talks between Serdyukov and Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie, the two sides announced joint anti-terrorism military exercises for next year, the third joint exercises to be held between the armies of the two nations, Xinhua said.

The neighbours have also held joint anti-terrorism exercises with other Central Asian nations.

China's ambitious military modernisation programme over the last two decades has been largely achieved through the purchase of advance Russian equipment, including fighter jets, transport planes, warships and submarines.

Last month at the Zhuhai Air Show in southern China, Chinese officials were asking detailed questions about Russia's most modern fighter jet the Sukhoi-35, which made its maiden flight this year.

"They showed a very keen interest in all aspects of the plane, but no agreement to buy the planes was made," Aleksey Poveshchenko, adviser to Sukhoi's director general, told AFP.

"We are still in negotiations and maybe we will see something in the coming months."

Source >  Google