China and Russia hold drills as Japan and Nato raise alarm over Ukraine
- Joint exercises are announced after Nato calls Beijing an ‘enabler’ of Russia’s war while Tokyo warns of spillover from conflict
China’s defence ministry said on Friday that Russian vessels arrived in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, that day for the “Joint Sea-2024” exercises in the waters and airspace around the city until the middle of the month.
“The joint exercise aims to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability,” the ministry said on Friday, adding that it would “further deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era”.
The corvettes Gromky and Rezky from the Russian navy’s Pacific Fleet left the port of Vladivostok for the drills, Reuters reported on Monday.
During a meeting in Washington earlier this week, the 32 Nato members called on Beijing to “cease all material and political support to Russia’s war effort”.
The Chinese embassy in Washington responded, saying Beijing had not provided weapons and had strictly controlled the export of dual-use articles – a move it said had been internationally applauded.
Meanwhile, in its annual defence white paper, published on Friday, Japan cautioned against a spillover of the Ukraine war into the Indo-Pacific region, “particularly in East Asia”. Observers said it was referring to the dangers of Beijing’s strained relations with Taipei, which has seen air and sea exercises escalate.
“Because of that increase in military activity, we cannot discount the possibility of heightened tensions,” the document said.
A close neighbour of Taiwan, Japan hosts more than 50,000 American troops, hundreds of US military aircraft, and an aircraft carrier strike group.
Japan also labelled China’s military ambitions the “greatest strategic challenge” to the world and identified Russia and North Korea as concerns.
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The Chinese ministry also said on Friday that the People’s Armed Police Force – the country’s paramilitary organisation – and Vietnam’s Mobile Police Force will hold a joint anti-terrorism training, named “Cooperation-2024”, in Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region from late July to early August.
“This joint training aims to focus on combating terrorist activities and is expected to facilitate the exchange between the two countries on counterterrorism combat and training experience, and foster mutual understanding and trust,” said Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence.
Ties between China and Vietnam have been strained at times over each party’s actions in the disputed South China Sea, including in May when Hanoi protested against a Chinese navy hospital ship being sent to the Paracel Islands. The contested islands are known as the Xisha Islands in China and the Hoang Sa Islands in Vietnam.
But that aside, the neighbours have managed largely friendly relations, with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recently lauding China as an inspiration for other countries, saying that his country was “pleased to witness China’s strong development and rise”.
“China is among few countries that increasingly takes on the leadership role in addressing regional and global challenges, promoting various cooperation initiatives … and occupying a pivotal position in global production and supply chains,” he said at the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in late June.
