"The two troops presented high-level fighting skills and cooperation," Ma said.

"The drill announced China and Russia's resolution to jointly fight regional and international terrorism and reflects our capability to do so."

The drill came weeks after separatist forces in Xinjiang instigated riots on July 5, leaving 197 people killed and more than 800 injured.

The separatists are believed to be financed through Western countries and members often flee to Middle Asian countries.

Chief of General Staff of Chinese Armed Forces Chen Bingde said last week when watching an exercise here that he could not exclude the possibility of Beijing sending troops abroad to combat terrorists.

This is the third such drill between China and Russia under the name of Peace Mission, after two in 2005 and 2007.

Tan Soon Lee, defence attach of the Singaporean embassy in China, told China Daily: "We also held our first joint exercise with China in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region last month. But it's too small to be compared with this one, which had an extremely large number of terrorists." He added the drill combined characteristics of traditional and anti-terror combat.

Representatives from other member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, anti-terror organizations and military attaches of other countries also witnessed the drill.

We're only friends

Though Beijing and Moscow have clarified they are not forging a military league but just a strategic partnership, the eye-catching drill attracted attention.

A UPI report said last week the exercise marks a growing relationship between the two giant neighbors, a tone agreed by many Russian media.

A famous Russian political critic told Russian media the drill can also been seen as an adjustment in Moscow's relations with Beijing.

"We should protect our friendship with China and avoid conflict. There's no need for us to hide anything from each other," the critic said.

That is the same guiding principle held by Russian troops here. They told the Chinese military the drill was similar to their experiences during two conflicts in Chechnya.

"Even Deputy Commander of the Russian Armed Forces Alexander Studenkin taught us a lot. He spent three years fighting in Chechnya," said Zhang Xudong, senior colonel of Shenyang Military Area. "They do not hide what they know from us."

"We have become friends with China in previous drills. We have formed a real relationship," said Makarov.

The two militaries have conducted 12 rounds of consultation at the level of deputy chief of general staff since 1997.

Last year, Beijing set up a military hotline with Moscow, its first with another country.

The next such drill will be conducted in 2010 in Kazakhstan. 

Russian paratroopers parachute during the real-combat of the "Peace Mission-2009" joint anti-terror military exercise in Taonan of northeast China's Jilin Province, July 26, 2009. More than 100 tanks, self-propelled cannons, as well as more than 60 aircraft are fighting against "terrorists" in the 80-minute final performance of the five-day exercises. (Xinhua/Li Gang)