Chinese troops march during the Vostok 2022 military exercise at a firing range in Russia's far east. Photo / AP
Chinese troops march during the Vostok 2022 military exercise at a firing range in Russia's far east. Photo / AP
Russia on Thursday launched week-long war games involving forces from China and other nations in a show of growing defence co-operation between Moscow and Beijing, as they both face tensions with the United States.
The manoeuvres are also intended to demonstrate that Moscow has sufficient military might for massive drills even as its troops are engaged in military action in Ukraine.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held until September 7 at seven firing ranges in Russia's far east and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops and over 5000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.
Russian General Staff chief, General Valery Gerasimov, will personally oversee the drills involving troops from several ex-Soviet nations, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria.
The Defence Ministry noted that as part of the manoeuvres, the Russian and Chinese navies in the Sea of Japan will "practise joint action to protect sea communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas".
Beijing sent more than 2000 troops along with more than 300 military vehicles, 21 combat aircraft and three warships to take part in the drills, Chinese news reports said.
China's Global Times newspaper noted the manoeuvres marked the first time China has sent forces from three branches of its military to take part in a single Russian drill, in what it described as a show of the breadth and depth of China-Russia military co-operation and mutual trust.
The drills showcase increasing defence ties between Moscow and Beijing, which have grown stronger since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine on February 24. China has pointedly refused to criticise Russia's actions, blaming the US and Nato for provoking Moscow, and has blasted the punishing sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Russia, in turn, has strongly backed China amid the tensions with the US that followed a recent visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Putin has drawn parallels between US support for Ukraine and Pelosi's trip, describing them both as part of alleged efforts by Washington to foment global instability.
Alexander Gabuyev, a political analyst who closely follows Russia-China ties, noted that "it's very important for Beijing to show to the US that it has levers to pressure America and its global interests".
"The joint manoeuvres with Moscow, including the naval drills, are intended to signal that if the pressure on Beijing continues it will have no other choice but to strengthen the military partnership with Russia," Gabuyev said. "It will have a direct impact on the interests of the US and its allies, including Japan."
Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. Photo / AP
He noted that the Kremlin, for its part, wants to show that the country's military is powerful enough to flex its muscle elsewhere despite the campaign in Ukraine.
"The Russian leadership demonstrates that everything goes according to plan and the country and its military have resources to conduct the manoeuvres along with the special military operation," Gabuyev said.
The exercise continues a series of joint war games by Russia and China in recent years, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Last year, Russian troops for the first time deployed to Chinese territory for joint manoeuvres.
China's participation in the drills "aims to deepen pragmatic and friendly co-operation between the militaries of the participating countries, enhance the level of strategic co-operation among all participating parties, and enhance the ability to jointly respond to various security threats," Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Tan Kefei said last week.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have developed strong personal ties to bolster a "strategic partnership" between the former communist rivals as they both are locked in rivalry with the US.
Even though Moscow and Beijing in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin has said that such a prospect can't be ruled out. He also noted that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defence capability.
