China and Russia have initiated live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea, strengthening their military and trade ties amid US sanctions on both countries. The joint drills, set to last three days, involve at least three vessels from each nation, as reported by the state-controlled Global Times newspaper.
The drills will include live-fire training, reconnaissance, early warning, search and rescue, and air defense exercises.Wang Guangzheng of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s Southern Theatre told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, “The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields. And effectively enhanced the ability to the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats.”
The exercise follows a separate joint naval patrol conducted earlier in the north Pacific. The vessels for the current exercises departed from a naval port in Zhanjiang, located in southern China’s Guangdong province, on Monday.
China asserts control over almost the entire South China Sea, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines maintains a rusty warship there, grounded deliberately in 1999 to bolster its maritime claims, which has recently been a contentious focal point between the two nations. Rising tensions have prompted US officials to remind Beijing of their ironclad mutual defense treaty obligations with the Philippines.
The “no limits” partnership between China and Russia was declared in 2022, when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing shortly before launching an invasion of Ukraine. China has not condemned the invasion and has increased its exports to Russia, aiding Moscow’s war economy.
In 2023, two-way trade between China and Russia reached a record $240.1 billion, a 26.3% increase from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data. Conversely, China-US trade declined by 11.6% last year, totaling $664.5 billion, the data shows.
The drills will include live-fire training, reconnaissance, early warning, search and rescue, and air defense exercises.Wang Guangzheng of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s Southern Theatre told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, “The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields. And effectively enhanced the ability to the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats.”
The exercise follows a separate joint naval patrol conducted earlier in the north Pacific. The vessels for the current exercises departed from a naval port in Zhanjiang, located in southern China’s Guangdong province, on Monday.
China asserts control over almost the entire South China Sea, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines maintains a rusty warship there, grounded deliberately in 1999 to bolster its maritime claims, which has recently been a contentious focal point between the two nations. Rising tensions have prompted US officials to remind Beijing of their ironclad mutual defense treaty obligations with the Philippines.
The “no limits” partnership between China and Russia was declared in 2022, when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing shortly before launching an invasion of Ukraine. China has not condemned the invasion and has increased its exports to Russia, aiding Moscow’s war economy.
In 2023, two-way trade between China and Russia reached a record $240.1 billion, a 26.3% increase from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data. Conversely, China-US trade declined by 11.6% last year, totaling $664.5 billion, the data shows.
