"They are not aimed at a third party," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at Thursday's regular press conference.

Liu said reports that the so-called big-scale joint military exercises are targeting a third country are not consistent with the facts.

China and Russia, in July of 1994, signed an official treaty on the prevention of "dangerous military activities" along the border areas of the two countries, according to the spokesman.

"The purpose of the military exercises is to test the reliability of the signal communication in order to fulfill the treaty so as to prevent possible dangerous military activities in the border areas and maintain peace and stability in the region," Liu said.

Recently, some western media reported that the joint military exercises were to demonstrate opposition to the planned US anti-ballistic missile defense shield and the deployment of US weapons in space.

When asked to comment on US President George W. Bush's remarks early this week that the United States will use "all tools" at his disposal to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Liu said that Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be completely respected.

"China maintains that in dealing with state-to-state relations we should abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter and the norms governing international relations," Liu said, adding that China is opposed to the use of force or the threat of the use of force.

Speaking at a surprise news conference, Bush said that the world would be a safer place once Saddam Hussein had been overthrown and said he was personally engaged in "all aspects" of planning to achieve that goal, noting it is a stated policy of the US government to have a regime change and it hasn't changed.

According to New York Times' reports, a top secret US military document outlines a massive, three-pronged attack on Iraq by land, sea and air with as many as 250,000 troops and hundreds of warplanes.

Liu also reiterated China's stance on opposing the United States' arms sales to Taiwan and military cooperation between the two sides.

Liu's remarks followed a series of reports on possible US weapon sales to Taiwan and military cooperation between the two.

Taiwan is not a dependent of the United States, and the arms sales will severely interfere in China's internal affairs, undermine the Chinese government's efforts to peacefully resolve the Taiwan problem, damage Sino-US relations and wreck peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Liu said.

Liu warned the US to be aware of the seriousness of the problem, keep its commitments made in the three Sino-US joint communiques and stop military and other official contacts with Taiwan, so as to keep Sino-US relations and the mutual interests of the two countries from being harmed.

Turning to the on-going visit by Nepalese King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Liu said that China supports his government's efforts to crack down on anti-government armed forces and voiced China's opposition to and condemnation of violence and terrorism of all forms.

Liu said the "Maoist" terrorism in Nepal usurped the name of China's founder Mao Zedong, noting that no force in China has connections with it.

When asked why China has suspended transmission of international TV-news channel BBC World, Liu said that British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) World Service has violated the agreements reached between it and China International TV Corp on many occasions.

Liu gave no information on when the service might be reinstated, saying it depends on the "attitude and practice" taken by the BBC.

BBC World was given its license to broadcast in China in January 2001 and is the only officially authorized BBC service available in the country.

(China Daily July 12, 2002)