China Engages in Back-to-Back Military Exercises Moving from Belarus to Russia.

China and Russia have commenced joint naval exercises, named Joint Sea-2024, in the waters and airspace near Zhanjiang, a city in the southern Guangdong province. Initiated in early July and set to continue until mid-July, these exercises involve guided missile destroyers, frigates, and support vessels assembled along China’s southern coast, as reported by Chinese state media CGTN.
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The Chinese Navy’s Shandong carrier task force is seen from the Japanese destroyer Akebono, on July 9, 2024, in the Philippine Sea. (Picture source: Japan’s Joint Staff Office)

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, stated that the maneuvers aim to "demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of both parties to jointly address maritime security threats and to preserve regional and global peace and stability." These exercises are part of the ongoing defense collaboration between the two nations and "will further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia for the new era," he added.

This announcement comes amid heightened tensions following the NATO summit in Washington, where leaders expressed "profound concern" over the deepening strategic relations between China and Russia and their attempts to "undermine and reshape the rules-based international order." In response, a spokesperson for China's mission to the European Union criticized NATO’s statement as "provocative" and filled with "obvious lies and smears," while accusing the alliance of maintaining a "Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric."

Simultaneously, China is also conducting bilateral military exercises with Belarus, a Russian ally, on the border with Poland, which will continue until July 19. These maneuvers, described as anti-terrorist exercises that include various combat simulations, occur in a context of tensions with NATO.

The joint military exercises between China and Russia are regular demonstrations of their deep military cooperation, reflecting a strategic partnership that has strengthened over the years. These maneuvers are often seen as a show of strength and a signal of their strategic alignment against Western influences, particularly those from the United States and NATO.

These exercises span a variety of operations, including aerial, naval, and ground combat simulations, anti-terrorist exercises, disaster relief operations, and more recently, electronic warfare and cyber defense exercises. They are conducted in various regions, ranging from the South China Sea to the North Pacific and occasionally in Eastern Europe, like the periodic Zapad maneuvers organized by Russia.

These developments follow Japan's expression of "grave concerns" on Friday regarding the joint activities of China and Russia near its territory, citing threats to its national security.