Russia, China to hold unprecedented joint military manoeuvre
While reading the below AP article, keep this question in mind: What would Old Europe do if America, as many on the left hope, is strategically run out of the middle east -- & China & Russia decide to take it upon themselves to militarily secure that they each have acess to middle east oil? I know what I would tell Old Europe to do -- it sarts with an f and ends with off-- were they to turn to the U.S.A. for help.
Sounds far fetched, well then go on and read the follwoing AP article and see how the real world plays hardball:
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia and China will hold unprecedented joint military manoeuvres on Chinese territory next year involving both nations' air forces and navies, Russia's defence minister said Monday.
Sergei Ivanov, speaking at a cabinet session chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said the exercise would involve submarines and possibly strategic bombers, the Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies reported.
"For the first time in history, we have agreed to hold quite a large military exercise together with China on Chinese territory in the second half of the year," Ivanov said, according to ITAR-Tass.
"The Russian side will not bring big numbers of servicemen, but mostly state-of-the art weapons - navy, air, long-range aviation, submarines to practice interaction with China in different forms of military manoeuvres," he reported.
After decades of bitter rivalry, Moscow and Beijing have developed what they describe as a strategic partnership in the years since the Soviet collapse. China has become the No. 1 customer for Russia's struggling defence industry, purchasing billions of dollars worth of fighters, missiles, submarines and destroyers.
Officials with Russia's state arms-trading company, Rosoboronexport, said last week that China is expected to sign new contracts for the purchase of Russia's most advanced fighter jets.
Both nations have frequently spoken about their adherence to a "multi-polar world," a term that refers to their opposition to a perceived U.S. domination in global affairs.
Some observers have speculated that Russia, which has had a falling out with the West over Ukraine's presidential election, could respond by trying to forge a closer partnership with China.
Russia has staunchly backed Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, fearing that his rival, Viktor Yushchenko would bring the nation closer to the West and away from the Russian orbit.
Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent military analyst who has long followed Russian-Chinese military co-operation, said the announced exercise was clearly intended to show Moscow's irritation with the West.