China said on Friday it was conducting joint military drills with Russia along its southern coast, after a US-led Western defence alliance met in Washington and Japan warned of a growing threat from Beijing鈥檚 strong ties with Moscow.
China鈥檚 defence ministry said the two militaries had begun the exercises, called Joint Sea-2024, in 鈥榚arly July鈥� and they would last until the middle of this month.
The drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern Guangdong province, are 鈥榯o demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability鈥�, the ministry said.
It added that the exercises 鈥榳ill further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era鈥�.
They were taking place in accordance with Beijing and Moscow鈥檚 annual plan for military engagement, according to the ministry.
The announcement came in the same week that NATO leaders convened in Washington to reaffirm support for Ukraine amid Russia鈥檚 invasion.
China and Russia have drawn closer in recent years and tout their friendship as having 鈥榥o limits鈥�, and both share hostile relations with NATO.
NATO leaders said in a declaration on Wednesday that China had 鈥榖ecome a decisive enabler鈥� of Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn NATO against 鈥榩rovoking confrontation鈥�.
China maintains that it is not a party to the Ukraine conflict but has been criticised by Western leaders for giving political and economic support to Russia, including in the trade of goods with both civilian and military uses.
Chinese forces are also staging drills this week with Belarus, another Russian ally, on NATO鈥檚 eastern border.
And Japan said Friday that joint China-Russia activities near its territory pose a 鈥榞rave concern from the perspective of national security鈥�.