Article Posted on : - Oct 26, 2012

BEIJING (PTI): Chinese and American military forces would hold joint drill on humanitarian rescue and disaster relief next month, even as China voiced its strong opposition to the US-Japan military exercise.

The China-US exercises would be held at Chengdu in southwest Sichuan province, Chinese Defence spokesman Yang Yujun said, adding the two countries' defence departments and armed forces would also hold a series of exchange activities before end of the year.

He said that US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and a US military medicine delegation will visit China. A workshop of senior officers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and a navy delegation will also visit the US.

The two countries will hold the 13th defence consultation between defence ministries.

A delegation of the US army military band will also visit China from October 27 to November 5.

During the visit, the US band and the PLA band will stage joint performances in Beijing, Nanjing of East China's Jiangsu province and Shanghai, Yang said.

"The military relationship between China and the United States maintain a smooth development this year. We are ready to work with the United States to push forward a sound and stable development of bilateral military ties," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, Yang voiced the nation's strong opposition to Japan's joint military exercises with US.

"We sternly oppose Japan wooing extraterritorial nations for joint military drills that only increase regional tensions," he said replying to question about plans by Japan-US to hold joint military exercise in Okinawa.

"We will keep a close eye on developments concerning the issue," Yang said.

Yang said that Japan is to blame for the degradation of military-to-military exchanges between China and Japan.

The current tensions between China and Japan are a result of the Japanese government's illegal "purchase" of part of the Diaoyu Islands, Yang said, adding Japan is fully responsible for the situation.

"We hope the Japanese side will correct its mistakes and make efforts for the sake of China-Japan relations," he said.