The Asian country’s defense ministry said China would send troops to Russia to participate in joint military exercises with the aim of “improving the level of strategic cooperation”.
Beijing and Moscow maintain defensive ties, and the Chinese government has said it wants to take bilateral relations to a “higher level” even as Russia faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.
China’s defense ministry announced on Wednesday that the country’s participation in the annual “Vostok” exercises, which will take place from August 30 to September 5, according to Moscow, is part of a bilateral cooperation agreement between the two powers.
The Chinese ministry reported that India, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan, among others, will participate in the maneuvers.
“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation between the armies of the participating countries, to improve the level of strategic cooperation between the parties, and to strengthen the capacity to respond to various security threats,” the statement said.
China and India are accused of providing diplomatic protection to Russia during the months of war in Ukraine, without complying with Western sanctions and supplying arms to Kiev.
However, Beijing stressed that its participation in joint exercises “has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation”.
These will be the second joint maneuver between China and Russia in 2022.
Bombers from both countries participated in 13-hour exercises near Japan and South Korea in May, which mandated the deployment of warplanes from both countries during US President Joe Biden’s visit to Tokyo.
Ned Price, spokesman for US diplomacy, said the growing ties between China and Russia were undermining global security, but Washington did not comment on the maneuvers.
“Many of the participating countries also participate in a wide variety of military exercises and exchanges with the United States,” he said.
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© Agence France-Press
source: Noticias
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