The name Peace Mission 2005 is, of course, an oxymoron for a blockade, an amphibious landing and a forced evacuation that involve live fire maneuvers.
Chinese and Russian military forces are preparing a joint naval blockade and amphibious landing as part of an exercise involving nearly 10,000 personnel and a wide range of weaponry.
âMilitary vessels, fighter jets and amphibious tanks will start three-day live-ammunition combat practice tomorrow,â a senior officer of the Chinese Peopleâs Liberation Army (PLA) was quoted by the China Daily as saying.
The two armies will focus on an offshore blockade involving guided missile destroyers and jet fighters, a joint amphibious landing by air force and marine paratroopers and a forced evacuation, the paper said.
This is due to take place when the third phase of the eight-day âPeace Mission 2005â exercise begins on Tuesday on east Chinaâs Shandong peninsula, the paper said.
During the second phase of the exercise, which ends Monday, the two sides engaged in joint command operations and the deployment of troops including paratroopers, press reports said.
Chinese state press said the exercises were taking place against the backdrop of âthe fight against terrorism, separatism and extremismâ - usually cited by China within the context of its endeavors to control the northwestern region of Xinjiang, home to a Muslim separatist movement.
But experts say the drills are more likely to be aimed at Taiwan. China considers the island part of its territory and threatens to invade if it formally declares independence.
âWith amphibious landings and naval operations involved, I donât think that the purpose of these exercises is anti-terrorism,â Arthur Ding, an expert on the PLA at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, told AFP.
âChina and Russia are sending a signal to Taiwan not to go down the road to independence and to the United States not to push them (China) into a corner by backing Taiwan independence forces.â
According to a report last week in the Russian daily Kommersant, the exercise is being funded by China and reflects a wish in Beijing to send a warning to Taiwan.
Some 7,000 Chinese troops and more than 1,800 Russians are involved in the drills.
The first phase of the exercise, involving warships, submarines, bombers, helicopters and fighter planes, began Thursday near the city of Vladivostok on Russiaâs Pacific coast.
Russian equipment being tested in the drill included the Il-76 transport plane, the Il-78 refueling plane, the A-50 early warning plane, the Tu-95 MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, the Su-24M2 bomber, and the Su-27SM fighter jet, the paper said.
Chinese hardware used in the drill was not specified. 
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