As global tensions escalate, China announced on Friday that it has commenced joint military exercises with Russia along its southern coast.
The development comes in the wake of a US-led NATO meeting in Washington DC and warnings from Japan about the growing military collaboration between Beijing and Moscow.
The Chinese defence ministry stated that the exercises, dubbed “Joint Sea-2024,” began in early July and will continue until mid-month. The drills, occurring in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, aimed to “demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability.”
The ministry emphasised that the exercises would “further deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.” This military cooperation aligns with Beijing and Moscow’s annual military engagement plan.
The announcement coincides with a NATO summit in Washington, where leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. The NATO declaration on Wednesday highlighted that China has “become a decisive enabler” of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, leading Beijing to caution NATO against “provoking confrontation.”
While China asserted that it was not involved in the Ukraine conflict, Western leaders have criticised Beijing for providing political and economic support to Russia, including the trade of dual-use goods.
LEADERSHIP reports that in a related development, Chinese forces were also conducting drills with Belarus, another Russian ally, near NATO’s eastern border. Japan has expressed significant concern over these joint China-Russia activities close to its territory, citing them as a “grave concern from the perspective of national security.”
