China and Russia conduct joint military cruise in Pacific – Euractiv

China and Russia conducted joint naval cruises in the North and Western Pacific, Beijing’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday (July 14), adding that the exercises were not “targeted” at any other country.

The two countries, both adversaries of NATO, the U.S.-led Western defense alliance, have grown closer in recent years and declared their friendship “knows no boundaries.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Beijing has further strengthened its diplomatic, economic, and military ties with Moscow.

China has never condemned the invasion and insists it is a neutral party in the conflict. But Western leaders have criticized China for providing political and economic support to Russia, including trade in civilian and military goods.

“According to the annual plan and the consensus reached by both sides, Chinese and Russian naval vessels recently organized the fourth joint maritime patrol in the western and northern Pacific Oceans,” China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement added: “This action is not directed against any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.”

No details were provided about the Pacific exercises, including the ships’ routes, their specific locations or the nature of the forces involved.

China said on Friday it was also holding exercises with Russia off its southern coast, codenamed “Joint Sea 2024.”

Earlier, NATO leaders declared that Beijing had “become a decisive driver of Moscow’s war in Ukraine”, while Japan warned that Beijing’s close ties with Moscow would pose a growing threat.

Beijing has rejected the criticism.

The drills, held in the sea and air space around the southern city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, were aimed at “demonstrating the determination and capabilities of both sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats and safeguard global and regional peace and stability,” the defence ministry said.

Two Russian warships have arrived in Zhanjiang to take part in joint naval exercises, the initial phase of which will take place from Monday to Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The Pacific Ocean is a hotbed of international tensions due to sovereignty disputes between Beijing and several of its U.S.-backed neighbors, including Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.

A report by the European Union Institute for Security Studies in early July said that China and Russia regularly hold joint military exercises, but their level of interoperability is far inferior to that of NATO.

In 2023, ships from both countries participated in naval exercises near the U.S. state of Alaska.

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