Russia and China will conduct joint military exercises this summer on Chinese territory, Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a source in the Russian defence ministry.

"Consultations between the two countries' defence ministries will begin shortly, in which the forces and resources involved in the exercises are to be determined, as well as the thematic focus of the joint manoeuvres," he said.

Counter-terrorism will be one element of the war games, said the source. He did not specify the timing of the exercises, but Interfax reported that they would take place in the summer of 2009 on Chinese territory.

"These will be bilateral Russian-Chinese exercises and not manoeuvres under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)," the source said, referring to a six-nation regional group led by Moscow and Beijing.

Russia and China have stepped up their military cooperation in recent years, holding regular joint exercises since 2005, although analysts say the SCO has yet to become a full-fledged military alliance.

During the Cold War, Moscow and Beijing had a tense relationship as rivals for the leadership of the Communist world.