China and Russia will hold a joint military exercise in the next half of this year, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing on February 3 without specifying the date or location.

Spokesman Kong Quan said at a regular press conference that a senior Russian military officer, leading a military expert panel, arrived in Beijing on Feb. 1. "They have discussed details of the exercise with senior officers of the Headquarters of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army," Kong said.

The two sides would keep in contact and further discuss more details, he added.

According to the spokesman, the joint military exercise is a result of the all-around strategic cooperation partnership between China and Russia. The two countries have common interests in all spheres, including efforts to maintain world peace, and they need more exchanges, cooperation and dialogue to cope with some shared challenges.