Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the two countries have grown closer
Joint exercises between Russia and China in December 2022
RFI China and Russia will organize joint maneuvers in the Sea of Japan, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced this Sunday (16). Since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the two countries have grown closer.
According to a statement from China’s Defense Ministry, the upcoming maneuvers will take place in the Sea of Japan and will involve five Chinese warships, including a Qiqihar guided missile launcher.
The schedule for the operations has not yet been announced. However, according to the Chinese government, the ships have already left Qingdao’s eastern port to join Russian forces in a “predesignated zone”. The maneuvers involving the Luftwaffe are said to be aimed at “maintaining the security of strategic sea routes”.
In recent months, the Chinese and Russians have organized several exercises between their armies. Last month, for example, the countries conducted a military air patrol over the Sea of Japan and eastern China, the sixth since 2019, prompting South Korea to deploy warplanes as a precaution. In early July, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu proposed strengthening military naval cooperation with Russia in negotiations with a representative of the country.
“China and Russia can make a positive contribution to maintaining world and regional peace and stability,” said Li Shangfu, who is on a list of the country’s figures subject to US sanctions since 2018. According to experts, the maneuvers show the two countries’ common will to “confront American hegemony”.
PROCEED TO RECOMMENDATIONS
Bilateral relationship Chinese diplomacy chief Wang Yi said Thursday (13) that Beijing will strengthen its strategic and coordination ties with Russia. Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in the Indonesian capital.
Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing have had “highlevel exchanges” and that the March meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Russia gave a “strong boost to bilateral ties,” one said Statement from the Chinese Procuratorate. “We have more and more POIs and convergence plans, so I’m optimistic about future developments,” Lavrov analyzed.