China announces military drills with Russia this month
China said Monday it will hold joint military drills with Russia this month, as the two allies seek to deepen ties that have prompted NATO to label Beijing an “enabler” in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense explained that the Navy and Air Force will participate in the “North-Joint 2024” drills in the airspace and around the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, off the Russian coast.
“This military drills aims to deepen the level of strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian armies and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense added.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense indicated that the two sides will send naval fleets to sea areas in the Pacific Ocean to conduct a joint naval patrol, and China will also participate in the Russian strategic drills “Ocean-2024”.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense didn’t specify though, the specific date for the joint military drills.
Last July, the two countries conducted joint naval and air drills around the city of Zhanjiang in southern China’s Guangdong Province.
The drills came a week after NATO leaders warned that China had become a critical enabler of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn the US-led alliance against provoking confrontation.
China presents itself as a neutral party in Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and stresses that it doesn’t provide lethal support to either side, unlike the United States and other Western countries.
