New Delhi: The Defense Ministry of China over its troops sending to Russia said, Chinese troops, will travel to Russia to take part in joint military exercises led by the host and including India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and other countries. China’s participation in the joint exercises was “unrelated to the current international and regional situation.
China’s defense ministry said its participation in the exercises was part of a bilateral annual cooperation agreement with Russia.
In July, Moscow announced plans to hold “Vostok” (east) exercises from 30 August to 5 September, even as it wages a costly war in Ukraine.
“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats and Under Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Beijing and Moscow have grown increasingly close,” Defense Ministry said.
A year ago this month, Russia and China held joint military exercises in north-central China involving more than 10,000 troops. The Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, praised the Sibu/Cooperation-2021 drills in China’s Ningxia and suggested they could be developed further.
In October, Russia and China held joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Days later, Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the western Pacific.
The next month, South Korea’s military said it had scrambled fighter jets after two Chinese and seven Russian warplanes intruded into its air defense identification zone during what Beijing called regular training.
Shortly before Russia’s 24 February invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” partnership, although US officials say they have not seen China evade US-led sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment.
Russia’s eastern military district includes part of Siberia and has its headquarters in Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border.
(Vinayak)