China and Russia held live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea this week, Russian and Chinese state media reported, as the two countries have strengthened military and trade ties in recent years following US sanctions.
Both countries were expected to mobilize at least three ships each for the three-day drills, China’s state-run Global Times newspaper reported late on Tuesday (16), citing the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
The opening ceremony of the Russian-Chinese naval exercise ‘Maritime Cooperation – 2024’ took place in the Chinese port of Zhanjiang, the Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier this week on the Telegram messaging app.
During the sea maneuvers, the crews of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the PLA Navy were to conduct joint air defense exercises and anti-submarine exercises with the involvement of the PLA’s naval anti-submarine aviation, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Russia’s state news agency RIA reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian Pacific Fleet, that the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy conducted artillery firing as part of joint exercises.
The drills follow the conclusion of a separate joint naval patrol in the North Pacific, which the Russian Defense Ministry previously said involved a detachment of ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet, including two corvettes, the Rezky and the Gromky.
Wang Guangzheng of the PLA Navy’s Southern Theater told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday that: “The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields.”
“And it has effectively improved the ability of both sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats.”
The participating ships departed from Zhanjiang in southern China’s Guangdong province on Monday (15), the report added, citing a statement from the PLA Navy.
The report did not specify where the exercises were held in the contested area.
On Tuesday, in the same sea, the coast guards of the United States and the Philippines also conducted a joint training, a bilateral search and rescue exercise, according to a statement from the US Navy released on Wednesday (17).
The operations, involving a U.S. Coast Guard cutter from the U.S. 7th Fleet and a Philippine patrol vessel, included joint navigation and search and rescue training, personnel transfer evolutions and bilateral navigation.
“We look forward to advancing our relationship as we strive to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific,” U.S. Navy Capt. Tyson Scofield, who commands the Coast Guard cutter, said in the statement, adding that such operations help develop tactical interoperability between allied navies in the Indo-Pacific.
China claims control of almost all of the South China Sea, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines keeps a rusting warship that it deliberately ran aground in 1999 to bolster its maritime claims and which has been central to a recent standoff between the two countries.
Rising tensions have prompted U.S. officials to remind Beijing that its mutual defense obligations with the Philippines are strict.
China and Russia declared an “unrestricted” partnership in 2022, when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing just days before the invasion of Ukraine. China has yet to condemn the invasion and has stepped up its exports to Russia, helping Moscow maintain its war economy.
The “no-limits” partnership saw bilateral trade reach a record $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3% from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
