Saturday, March 19, 2005

Too Hasty, I'd Say

Is Russia helping China practice for an invasion of Taiwan?

That's what the Russian press says but the Russian government denies it:

[Gen. Yuri ] Baluyevsky dismissed as "pure fiction" reports by Russian media that the exercises were a rehearsal for an invasion of Taiwan, the self-ruled island that the communist Beijing government claims as its territory, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.


What will the two countries do? Well:

The exercises will involve Il-76 transport planes with paratroopers, Tu-95MS bombers firing cruise missiles at targets in the sea and Su-27SM fighter jets simulating coverage of ground forces, according to Russian media reports.

Paratroopers, ground support, and anti-ship exercises.

Fascinating. One would think the Russians wouldn't want to encourage China to pursue claims to land outside China's current borders.

You'd think.