© picture alliance / Anadolu | Kremlin Press Service
China has announced that it will hold joint naval exercises with Russia in July off the coast of Qingdao, in Shandong Province in eastern China. These exercises will be followed by joint patrols in an unspecified area of the Pacific Ocean.
These maneuvers are part of the regular military cooperation between the two countries. This cooperation dates back to 2012, but the announced exercises signal a renewed strategic rapprochement between China and Russia.
Beijing and Moscow, which maintain close diplomatic ties and are major economic partners, aim to offer an alternative to the world order that they believe is dominated by the United States. This cooperation has been further strengthened since the start of the war in Ukraine, which China has never condemned, although it has officially called for peace negotiations.
These exercises are viewed with suspicion by Western countries, which accuse China of providing Russia with crucial economic support for its war efforts. The Chinese authorities, however, claim that these operations are intended to address common security challenges and maintain peace and stability in the region.
The maneuvers are taking place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders emphasized the close and “unprecedented” ties between their countries.
Picture: © picture alliance / Anadolu | Kremlin Press Service