Why China and Russia are holding joint naval drills

Two Russian frigates named Gromky and the Rezky have arrived on the shores of the southern Chinese city of Zhanjiang

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sputnik)

China and Russia are conducting joint naval exercises in a military port in southern China, in another sign the two sides are deepening their strategic “partnership.”

China’s defence ministry said that Russian vessels arrived in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, for the “Joint Sea-2024” exercises in the waters and airspace around the city throughout this week.

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has increasingly turned towards China for support as the West has ramped up sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. China’s Xi Jinping is seeking to set Beijing up as a global mediator, but the bigger pull in working with Russia is likely wanting to create alliances as a bulwark against the US and the West. Mr Xi will also see the exercises as a show of strength in the face of a number of US allies across the local region.

“The joint exercise aims to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability,” China’s defence ministry said on Friday, adding that it would “further deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era”.

Where are the drills taking place?

Beijing’s Defence Ministry said the naval patrols have begun in the northern and western Pacific, adding that the exercise was not “targeted” at any other nation.

The Russian Defence Ministry said two of its warships had arrived in Zhanjiang, a city in Guangdong province. Zhanjiang serves as the headquarters of the Chinese naval forces assigned to the Southern Theatre Command.

The joint exercise will take place in the South China Sea.

There are also “joint anti-terrorist” military drills happening between the Chinese and Belarusian militaries at the Brestskiy training range next to the border with Ukraine and Poland, which was reported earlier on 8 July.

The joint exercises follow Belarus – a key ally of Russia – joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic and defence organization led by Russia and China.

When will they begin?

The first phase will take place from Monday to Wednesday and will involve anti-air and anti-submarine attacks along with Chinese planes specialised in anti-submarine manoeuvres, the ministry said.

It said the exercises in the waters and airspace around the city will last until the middle of the month. The last time China and Russia conducted exercises in the area was in 2016.

What exactly will they be doing?

The warships will conduct live-fire drills in multiple training courses including joint stationary defence, joint reconnaissance and early warning, joint search and rescue as well as joint air defence in waters and airspace near Zhanjiang.

How many ships and soldiers are involved?

China is using the Type 052D destroyer Nanning, Type 054A frigates Xianning and Dali, Type 903 comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu and shipborne helicopters and marines, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Two Russian Steregushchiy-class corvettes named Gromkiy and Rezkiy arrived on China’s shores, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The frigates translate as loud and sudden respectively and will work alongside the Irkut oiler, CCTV said.

The warships being used for the China-Russia warship formation for the joint maritime exercises will include a Russian corvette named Sovershenny, the PLA Navy’s Type 052D destroyer Yinchuan, Type 054A frigate Hengshui and Type 903 replenishment ship Weishanhu, according to Russian News Agency Tass.

The number of personnel involved is unknown.

Why are they carrying out the exercises?

The objective is to demonstrate the “resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats”, according to Zhang Xiaogang, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson.

The exercises are aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of the navies in addressing security threats and preserving peace and stability globally and regionally, state broadcaster CCTV said on Saturday.

Japan said on Friday that the exercises near its territory pose a “grave concern from the perspective of national security.” It also said in its annual defence white paper that it was concerned about a spillover of the Ukraine war into the Indo-Pacific region, “particularly in East Asia”.