China, Russia war games no threat - Rumsfeld
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-24 09:42

WASHINGTON  - The US military is observing the first big war games between China and Russia but does not regard them as a threat to Taiwan, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.

Some 10,000 Russian and Chinese troops are taking part in the weeklong air, land and sea exercise, which includes a simulated naval blockade and amphibious landing.

Rumsfeld said countries conduct joint military exercises together all the time, adding, "And so I guess I don't find it notable."

"I mean, countries do that," he said. "We are obviously observing what takes place, but I didn't see anything in it that was threatening to Taiwan or anyone else."

Russia and China did not invite the United States to attend as an observer.

But Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, the new vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: "We watch them. We watch all these exercises."

Chinese destroyers, submarines and fighter aircraft coordinated their movements in the Yellow Sea Tuesday with a Russian missile destroyer and anti-submarine vessels while a Russian surveillance plane circled overhead.

The exercise is called "Peace Mission 2005."

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