Backgrounder: China-Russia joint military exercises since 2003

VLADIVOSTOK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A China-Russia joint naval drill, dubbed "Joint Sea 2013", is going on in waters near Russia's Peter the Great Bay on July 5-12. It is the 9th bilateral or multilateral military exercises involving the armed forces of China and Russia. The following are bilateral or multilateral military exercises involving China and Russia since 2003.

-- "Coalition-2003" SCO Anti-Terror Exercise.

Armed forces from the then five SCO member countries - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan - staged a joint anti-terror exercise coded "Coalition-2003" in Kazakhstan's border city of Ucharal and Ili, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Aug. 6-12, 2003

It was the first exercise of its kind within the framework of the SCO and also the first time China participated in a multilateral joint military maneuver.

-- "Peace Mission-2005" China-Russia Joint Military Exercises

China and Russia held their first joint anti-terror military exercises code-named "Peace Mission-2005" on Aug. 18-25, 2005. The one-week maneuver, which involved 10,000 troops from the two countries, started in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East and later moved to east China's Shandong Peninsula.

-- "Peace Mission-2007" SCO Anti-Terror Exercise

A joint anti-terrorism military exercise coded "Peace Mission-2007" was held by the six member countries of the SCO in Chelyabinsk in Russia's Ural Mountainous region and Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. More than 4,000 troops from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the exercise, the largest of its kind within the framework of the SCO since the organization was founded June 15, 2001.

-- "Peace Mission 2009" China-Russia Anti-Terror Drill

A China-Russia anti-terror drill, coded "Peace-Mission 2009," ran on July 22-26 in Khabarovsk, Russia, and the Taonan tactical training base of the PLA in northeast China's Jilin Province.

Up to 1,300 army and air force personnel from each side took part in the drill.

-- "Peace Shield 2009" China-Russia Maritime Drill

A China-Russia maritime maneuver was held in the western waters of the Gulf of Aden on Sept. 18, 2009. China's frigates Zhoushan and Xuzhou, supply ship Qiandaohu, and three Russian warships took part in the drill.

-- "Peace Mission 2010" SCO Anti-Terror Drill

A multilateral anti-terror military drill under the framework of the SCO, coded "Peace Mission 2010," was held on on Sept. 10-25 in Kazakhstan. More than 5,000 troops, 1,600 armed vehicles, 100 cannons and mortars, and 50 combat aircraft and helicopters from five of the six SCO member states, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, were involved in the drill.

-- "Joint Sea 2012" China-Russia Joint Naval Drill

A Russia-China joint naval drill, coded "Joint Sea 2012," was held in waters near Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on April 22-27, 2012. China and Russia sent a total of 25 warships, 13 planes and nine helicopters and two task forces to take part in the drill.

-- "Peace Mission 2012" SCO Anti-Terror Drill

A multilateral anti-terror military drill under the framework of the SCO, coded "Peace Mission 2012," was held in Tajikistan on June 8-14,2012. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan sent troops to participate in the drill.