"We don't plan to create a new military bloc, but will strengthen our military cooperation, including through joint exercises," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov as saying after meeting his Chinese counterpart, Cao Gangchuan.

His comments came after Russia and China carried out their first-ever joint military exercises last month, an expression of warming defense relations between the two traditional adversaries that was watched closely by the United States and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ivanov insisted that those maneuvers "were not directed against anyone." Some military experts said they could be interpreted as a warning to Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province over which it has promised to regain control.

Cao said the historic joint Russian-Chinese exercises "resonated positively in the world community," RIA-Novosti news agency reported separately.

"The completed joint exercises were highly successful and our forces demonstrated a high level of partnership," Cao added.

The exercises reflected the increasing closeness between Russia and China on both a political and military level. They were gave Russia an opportunity to showcase its latest defence products at a time of increased Chinese defence spending.

Military delegations from the two countries were due to hold further talks later in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, ITAR-TASS said.

Since the early 1990s Russia has supplied 85 percent of China's arms imports, representing a turnover of three billion dollars (2.4 billion euros) a year, according to the Pentagon.

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