The United States, in partnership with Japan, is engaging in expansive military drills hailed as the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Running from July 10 to August 8, the exercises involve more than 400 aircraft and 12,000 troops. Amidst these maneuvers, China has declared a joint naval exercise with Russia.
On Wednesday, China's Ministry of National Defense announced their 'Joint Sea 2025' naval exercise with Russia, set for August. This exercise will be followed by a sixth joint sea patrol in the Pacific.
The maneuvers between China and Russia will take place in the ocean and air spaces near Vladivostok, a remote eastern port city of Russia on the Sea of Japan. According to Chinese defense ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang, some forces participating in the exercises will subsequently participate in joint maritime patrols.
At a monthly press briefing in Beijing, Zhang stated that the exercise is part of the annual cooperative scheduling between the Chinese and Russian armed forces. He emphasized that the drills aim to target no third party and are unrelated to the current international and regional situation.
Despite this, Zhang offered criticisms of the U.S., asserting that American dominance would not prevail in the region.
He remarked, “The United States clings to a Cold War mentality, flaunting its power within the Asia-Pacific, trying to unite, intimidate, and destabilize the area under the guise of military exercises.”
In recent years, China and Russia have strengthened their partnership and military relations through joint naval drills. The latest exercise marks the 11th in the Giant Sea series, also recognized as 'Maritime Cooperation.'
These annual military exercises commenced in 2012 and have been held every year, excluding 2018, 2020, and 2023.
Most drills have been conducted in the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, as well as in the Northwestern Pacific, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas.
The exercises feature warships, aircraft, and support units from both nations executing formation maneuvers, search and rescue operations, air defense exercises, anti-submarine missions, and live-fire drills.
Russia has long been China's primary arms supplier. China signed various licensing agreements with Russia, granting access to military technologies. However, China has recently reduced its dependence on Russian technology. In 2020, Russia accounted for almost 70% of China's total arms imports, dropping to about 40% in 2024.
According to a report by The Diplomat, in 2020, China purchased engines, aircraft, and naval weapons from Russia. By 2024, only engines were imported as China began domestic production of defense equipment. Additionally, Russia's military imports from China decreased due to sanctions following the onset of the Ukraine war.
Nevertheless, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China increased its supply of dual-use items to Russia, benefiting its wartime needs. Previously, Russia imported dual-use goods from Western countries and Ukraine, which ceased post-conflict.
Currently, China is aiding Russia by supplying dual-use items, including sensitive military goods like ball bearings for tanks and semiconductors for weapon systems. Since the Ukraine conflict began, China's export of dual-use items to Russia notably increased.
The U.S. has voiced objections over the Russia-China collaboration, while China insists it is not supporting the continuation of the Ukraine war.
