VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: China and Russia launched their first-ever military exercise here yesterday, as the two sides' chiefs of general staff insisted the drill is "not targeted at any third country."

The eight-day military drill, code named Peace Mission 2005, started after Liang Guanglie, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and his Russian counterpart Yuri Baluyevsky held strategic consultations at the Vladivostok headquarters of Russia's Pacific Fleet.

The war game is to be held in three stages and the first stage officially began with staff officers carrying out drill planning at the order of the chiefs of the general staff.

The second and third-stages of the drill will be conducted in East China's Shandong Peninsula and its nearby waters in the following days.

The military manoeuvre is to involve nearly 10,000 servicemen, including 1,800 from Russia, and is scheduled to end on August 25.

Troops include land forces, the navy, air force, airborne troops, marine corps, and logistic units.

Liang said the exercise will allow the two armies to practice their co-ordination abilities in combating "international terrorism, extremism and separatism" as well as in coping with "new challenges and threats."

"This exercise does not target, concern the interests of, or pose a threat to any third country," said Liang.

Baluyevsky said the military drill does not mean the two giants intend to build a military bloc.

Liang told the press yesterday that the military drill will focus on strategic consultations, battle planning, transportation and deployment of troops and combat practices.

Earlier reports said Russia had sent military vessels and a group of long-haul aircraft to join the exercise. Hardware involved includes a large anti-submarine vessel, the Marshal Shaposhnikov, a large landing ship and a destroyer as well as Tu-95 strategic bombers, Tu-22M long-range bombers and Su-27SM fighter jets.

Defence ministers of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), which groups Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China and Russia, have been invited to observe the manoeuvres. While representatives of India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan - SCO observer countries - are also on the list of guests.

Both Liang and Baluyevsky paid tribute to the SCO, saying it has become an important element consolidating regional peace and security.

Liang said China and Russia must take practical measures to push defence and security co-operation with other members within the SCO framework to safeguard the safety and stability of the region.

Baluyevsky highlighted the importance of increasing anti-terrorism co-operation between SCO nations.

The war game shows the two countries' militaries are ready for a joint fight against international terrorists, national separatists and religious extremists, Xinhua yesterday quoted a senior diplomat from the Russian Embassy in China as saying.

"Let them have a look at our joint military exercises and think it over whether it is worth continuing their activities," said Sergey N Goncharov, charg d'affaires of the Russian Embassy in China.