China, Russia announce joint military drills

The annual joint military drills between the Chinese and Russian navies are set to begin this week in the East China Sea and Airspace. The Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed this information in a statement on Sunday (July 5).

The drills off the coast of Qingdao, one of China's major port cities, will begin on Monday (July 6) and continue until July 13. After the drills, the navies of the two countries will conduct joint patrols in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean.

According to Russian state media, a cruiser, a corvette, a diesel-electric submarine and a rescue ship from the Russian Pacific Fleet have already arrived in Qingdao port to participate in the joint drills.

On the other hand, China's Northern Theater Command said that two destroyers, a frigate, a submarine, a supply ship and a rescue ship are participating in the drills.

The exercise will focus on strategic preparedness, such as monitoring enemy movements, air and missile defense, and countering surprise attacks at sea.

According to diplomatic analysts, the military exercise is taking place just two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China. During that visit, he described bilateral relations between the two countries as being at an unprecedented high.

On the other hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping also described the partnership as steadfast and unwavering.

It is worth noting that the two superpowers have been regularly conducting joint naval exercises called Joint Sea since 2012. Last year, the exercise was held near the Russian port of Vladivostok, and the two countries also conducted joint patrols in the Pacific Ocean after the exercise.

China has never directly condemned Russia's full-scale military operation in Ukraine; Rather, Beijing has consistently called for peace talks, claiming to be a neutral party.

Source: Al Jazeera.