CHINA AND RUSSIA LAUNCH JOINT NAVAL DRILLS AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH NATO

Mon 15 July 2024:

China and Russia’s naval forces have commenced a joint exercise at a military port in southern China, just days after NATO allies labeled Beijing a “decisive enabler” of the war in Ukraine, according to official news agency Xinhua.

Starting in Guangdong province on Sunday, the exercise will continue until mid-July, showcasing the navies’ capabilities in addressing security threats and maintaining peace and stability globally and regionally, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. The drills will feature anti-missile exercises, sea strikes, and air defense maneuvers.

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The Chinese defense ministry stated that recent patrols by both nations’ forces in the western and northern Pacific Ocean were unrelated to international or regional situations and did not target any third party.

Last week Wednesday, Washington announced plans to start deploying long-range weapons in Germany in 2026, including SM-6 and Tomahawk systems, “as part of planning for enduring stationing of these capabilities in the future”.

CHINA AND RUSSIA LAUNCH JOINT NAVAL DRILLS AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH NATO

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Moscow has already vowed to “calmly” prepare a military response to the hostile move, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov describing the plans as “one of the elements of intimidation that, today, is almost the main component of the NATO and US” approach towards Russia.

Following the opening ceremony in Zhanjiang, Xinhua reported that Chinese and Russian naval forces conducted on-map military simulation and tactical coordination exercises.

These joint drills follow recent tensions between China and NATO allies. The sternly worded final communiqué from the NATO summit in Washington emphasized China’s role as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, highlighting shared security concerns among European, North American, and Indo-Pacific members regarding Russia and its Asian supporters, especially China.

In response, China accused NATO of pursuing security at others’ expense and warned against bringing the same “chaos” to Asia. China’s foreign ministry insisted on the nation’s fair and objective stance on the war in Ukraine.

Additionally, American officials reported that a US Coast Guard cutter, on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea, encountered several Chinese military ships in international waters within the US exclusive economic zone. Three vessels were detected approximately 200 kilometers north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, with a fourth ship spotted about 135 kilometers north of the Amukta Pass. The US side noted that the Chinese naval vessels operated within international rules and norms.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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