Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan called for new areas of cooperation between the Chinese and Russian military during talks Tuesday with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.

The cooperation between the armed forces of China and Russia has reached new highs as bilateral relations continue to grow, Cao said at a meeting with Ivanov in Moscow.

The first China-Russia military exercise showed the political, military and security mutual trust between the two countries has grown to new levels and has laid a firm foundation for cooperation in national defense and security, Cao said.

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

Cao called for greater joint efforts to expand new areas and explore new ways of military cooperation between China and Russia.

Ivanov, for his part, said the joint military exercise has gone beyond the boundary of bilateral relations in its significance and will contribute to promoting regional and even global peace and stability.

Ivanov expressed the Russian military's readiness to deepen cooperation with the Chinese military.

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

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2005)