A Chinese naval flotilla set off on Sunday to join Russian naval and air forces in the Sea of Japan in an exercise aimed at "safeguarding the security of strategic waterways", according to China's defense ministry.
Codenamed "Northern/Interaction-2023", the drill marks enhanced military cooperation between China and Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and is taking place as Beijing continues to rebuff U.S. calls to resume military communication.
The Chinese flotilla comprised of five warships and four ship-borne helicopters, left the eastern port of Qingdao and will rendezvous with Russian forces in a "predetermined area", the ministry said on its official WeChat account on Sunday.
On Saturday, the ministry said Russian naval and air forces would participate in the drill taking place in the Sea of Japan.
This would be the first time both Russian forces take part in the drill, state newspaper Global Times cited military observers as saying.
Gromkiy and Sovershenniy, two Russian warships taking part in the Sea of Japan drill, had earlier this month conducted separate training with the Chinese navy in Shanghai on formation movements, communication and sea rescues.
Before making port at the financial hub of Shanghai, the same ships had sailed passed Taiwan and Japan, prompting both Taipei and Tokyo to monitor the Russian warships.
Days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a "no limits" partnership they said was aimed at countering the influence of the United States.
One notable area of the partnership is military cooperation.
When China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu met with the head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, in Beijing this month, both sides reiterated pledges to strengthen military ties.
Chinese military Chief of Joint Staff Liu Zhenli and Russia's top soldier, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov made the same pledge during a video call in June.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
37 Comments
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englisc aspyrgend
Couple of corvette’s chugging along after the Chinese; russia trying to to show some sort of relevance to their new masters, at least they are new enough to probably not need the usual accompanying tug.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Manbabies putting on a show.
EFD
Better out JSDF S&R units on alert. Chinese can’t read a map and Russian planes and ships have a tense or to function in their basic role.
mtuffizi
what are they trying to proof?
Eastman
what is your problem with that
UChosePoorly
As is their right. The rest of us will be closely watching this tiny exercise, as is our right.
englisc aspyrgend
No problem, just trying not to laugh too hard, might get hiccups!
Rodney
Great news. Sea will be safer and freedom of navigation guaranteed.
UChosePoorly
Rodney, is there an authoritarian state whose d you will not ride?
WA4TKG
We really ARE trying to start WWIII, aren’t we?
OssanAmerica
Russia and China are, yes,
The rest of us are trying hard to prevent it.
Rodney
USA, Eastern Europe, France, Germany. UK, Australia.
all repress press freedom, have terrible human rights records, love war, colonist, racism, and say they are democratic with the only choice, red & blue.
forgot Saudi, but that’s a kingdom like UK.
Rodney
And of course, Israel.
kibousha
Just don't say we "escalate things" when we do the same okay ?
Fighto!
Two nations of totalitarian losers trying to stir up trouble.
Wouldn't shock anyone if one or two of these vessels sink due to incompetence.
Mr Kipling
Great that they are using exactly the same wording as the US and it's vassal states when they play their war games.
nosuke
Thanks kishida, stop poking the bear
TokyoLiving
Excellent..
Go Mother Russia, Mother China..
Protect far east from western piracy..
Rodney
you are referring to 90% of high quality semiconductors assembled in Taiwan right? Yo da man. Smarts.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Facts don't lie:
https://rsf.org/en/index
TaiwanIsNotChina
They'll be destroyed if China does anything stupid.
deanzaZZR
Kissinger was smart enough to peel away China as a strategic partner. Today's neo-cons, both red and blue, do everything in their powers to drive them back together.
Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and Northrop Grumman say cha-ching.
elephant200
Good! Tit for Tat when the warmongers of Quad and South Korea were playing wargames in the Pacific, China and Russia showing their solidarity in reaction. But that's not enough, they should further providing weapons to North Korea and all the materials K.J. needed. Veto all the attempts in UNSC that sanctions North Korea.
elephant200
@Fighto: Wouldn't shock anyone if one or two of these vessels sink due to incompetence.
If you have good memories, do you remember 22 years ago, a US nuclear submarines sunken a Japanese fishing boat when it emerges to surface?
I think your country better worry the "Incompetence" of your ally, sometimes an accident could be very deadly.
mtuffizi
"cooperation and coordination" - china and russia, i wonder?
Pacificpilot
Paper boats. All the Russian ships are manned by North Koreans and mercenary crews who have no Technical skills. Over half the ships munitions stores have been shipped to the Black Sea Fleet.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Thankfully the UNSC resolutions are already in place from the era of Singing Putin and "hide your strength, bide your time".
I think ships sinking in the course of regular sailing is more embarrassing. Just me.
OssanAmerica
Did you bother to read the article before posting your anti-JP blurb?
1glenn
With a GDP about the size of Spain's, Russia is no longer able to maintain a credible military. Putin has accelerated Russia's decline with his ambitions to reestablish the Russian empire. It is very pitiful to watch.
Mark
Two RED's don't make it Balck.
Agent_Neo
Some people said that RIMPAC was a provocation against China and Russia, so this move by China and Russia is a provocation against the United States and Japan?
As a result, the liberal camp must accelerate its military buildup against the communist aggressor nations. Japan will also need nuclear weapons.
Like Russia, no one can predict exactly when China will invade.