BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting Russian army chief said here Thursday that the preparing Russian and Chinese joint military exercise is not targeted at any third country.

    "The first joint military exercise is a new way of cooperation between the two militaries," said Yury Baluyevsky, Russian chief of general staff, who is on his first trip abroad since he took up the post last July.

    Instead of being targeted at any third country, the exercise scheduled to take place in autumn this year is aimed at "improving the training capabilities of the two militaries and boosting their cooperation," Baluyevsky told reporters after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie Thursday afternoon.

    Baluyevsky will also meet with Chinese state and military leaders Friday before he leaves Beijing for Sanya, a seaside resort in southern Hainan Province.

    He said that the two sides have some details to further discuss.

    Russia and China also agreed on the make-up of the troop, arms and equipment and military methods involved in the training.

    "Russian paratroopers, marines and other forces will take part in the exercise," he said.

    Russian and Chinese military leaders are also expected to attend this exercise.

    The message about China-Russia military exercise first came with a memorandum of understanding on this signed between Chinese Vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov last July.

    China and Russia made public the planned military exercise on December 13, 2004 when Ivanov visited China. Both defense ministers agreed in their talks that the exercise would be "a big event in the relations between the two nations and the two armies"and exert "far-reaching impacts." Enditem