BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese and Russian navies began joint exercises Sunday at a military port in southern China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, days after NATO allies called Beijing’s ‘decisive potential’ for war in Ukraine.
The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a brief statement that forces from both sides recently conducted patrols in the western and northern Pacific Ocean and that the operation had nothing to do with international and regional situations and did not target any third party.
The drills, which began in Guangdong province on Sunday and are expected to last until mid-July, aim to showcase the navy’s capabilities in addressing security threats and maintaining global and regional peace and stability, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday, adding that they will include anti-missile, naval strike and air defense drills.
The Chinese and Russian navies conducted military simulation and tactical coordination exercises on the map after the opening ceremony in the city of Zhanjiang, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The joint exercises come in the wake of recent tensions between China and its NATO allies last week.
The final statement, which was approved by the 32 member states of the conference, was strongly worded, NATO members at their summit In Washington, he made clear that China had become the linchpin of the military alliance, describing Beijing as “The decisive enabler” to Russia’s war against UkraineEuropean and North American members. their partners in the Indo-Pacific region There appear to be growing shared security concerns between Russia and its Asian backers, especially China.
In response, China said: NATO accused BEIJING – Earlier, China accused its allies of seeking security at the expense of others, and urged the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia. Its foreign ministry stressed that China takes a fair and objective position on the war in Ukraine.
Last week, a U.S. Coast Guard ship conducted a routine patrol in the Bering Sea as well. I encountered many Chinese military ships. U.S. officials said the ship was in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Its crew spotted three vessels about 124 miles (200 kilometers) north of the Amchitka Passage in the Aleutian Islands, which form a divide and link between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea.
Later, a fourth vessel was spotted about 84 miles (135 kilometers) north of Amukta Pass.
The US side said that Chinese naval vessels operate within the framework of international rules and norms.