Chinese and Russian Defence Ministers and their lieutenants joined in a picnic with soldiers of the two countries after the last item of the first China-Russia joint war game Thursday noon.

Senior officers and soldiers participating in the military exercises had a family-style lunch in field tents where foods such as eggplants braised in soy sauce, beef noodles and Russian-style fried chewy fish and vegetables were served on long tables.

Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan toasted the officers and soldiers by a Chinese verse. His Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov replied, "We regard the sound of tank's engine as the field mess music."

"We have accomplished the mission of the exercise and enhanced our friendship," Cao, once a student of a military college of the former Soviet Union, told Ivanov in Russian.

The Russian defence minister praised Chinese and Russian soldiers' performance in the drills, adding that the first joint exercise with the Chinese army has been a success.

"Have you received the gift kites?" Cao asked. "Yes, I will fly them in Moscow's sky," replied Ivanov.

The two ministers also toasted the other side's officers and soldiers. Russian soldiers told the Chinese defense minister,"We have enjoyed a beer festival today that we couldn't have in Qingdao's beer festival."

"You are the future of Chinese military forces," Ivanov told the Chinese soldiers. "Wish you all the best."

Cao told Xinhua that the joint exercise is a major step to enhance the China-Russia strategic partnership of cooperation and put into practice the tenet of securing regional peace and stability set by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

"From the beginning to the end, the military exercise has been safe, smooth and of high quality." said Cao.

Source: Xinhua