China and Russia will organize joint maneuvers in the Sea of Japan, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday. The two countries have grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which the Chinese do not condemn, contrary to most of the international community.
(RFI) The upcoming maneuvers will take place in the Sea of Japan and will see the participation of five Chinese warships, including a Qiqihar guided missile launcher, according to a statement released by the Chinese defense ministry.
The timing of the operations has not yet been revealed. But according to the Chinese government, the ships have already left the eastern port of Qingdao to join Russian forces in a “pre-defined zone.” The maneuvers involving the air force will aim to “maintain the security of strategic sea routes”.
In recent months, China and Russia have organized several exercises between their armies. Last month, for example, the countries carried out a military air patrol over the Sea of Japan and East China, the sixth since 2019, which prompted South Korea to mobilize fighter jets as a precaution.
Earlier in July, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu had already suggested strengthening naval military cooperation with Russia during talks with a Russian representative.
“China and Russia can make a positive contribution to maintaining peace and stability in the world and the region,” said Li Shangfu at the time, who has been on a list of US sanctions since 2018.
The maneuvers, experts say, illustrate the common will of the two countries to “confront American hegemony.”
Bilateral relations
Chinese diplomatic chief Wang Yi said on Thursday that Beijing will strengthen its strategic and coordination relations with Russia.
Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting in the Indonesian capital.
Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing have “high-level exchanges” and that the March meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Russia had given a “strong impetus to bilateral relations”, according to a statement from the Chinese prosecutor’s office.
“We have more and more points of interest and plans for convergence, so I see future development with optimism,” Lavrov said.
With information from AFP