The China-Russia military exercises have promoted the strategic partnership between the two countries and conduce to safeguarding regional and global peace and security, Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said in Moscow Wednesday.

During a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov in Moscow, Cao said bilateral relations are at their best in history, and the strategic partnership and the treaties on cooperation have laid a solid political and legal foundation for the further growth of long-term, stable bilateral ties.

The joint military maneuvers promoted the China-Russia strategic partnership and is significant in that it contributed to safeguarding regional and global peace and security and also to the crackdown on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Cao said.

China and Russia held their first joint military exercises, code-named Peace Mission 2005, on August 18-25. The one-week maneuvers, which started in Russia's Far East and later moved to east China's Shandong Peninsula, involved 10,000 troops from both countries.

Fradkov, for his part, said the political, economic, cultural and military ties between Russia and China are expanding and Russia is satisfied with the development of ties.

Russia stands ready to work with China to promote bilateral ties to higher levels and also strengthen cooperation in international affairs to help maintain regional and global peace and stability, Fradkov said.

Cao arrived in Moscow Monday on a five-day visit to Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2005)