China, Russia Set For Series Of Joint Exercises This Month Aimed At Bolstering Pacific Presence

China revealed Monday that it plans to hold another major joint military exercise with Russia. It confirmed its PLA naval and air forces will participate in the “North-Joint 2024” exercises

The location is sure to be provocative to Tokyo and the West’s eyes as it the drills are happening around the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. “This exercise aims to deepen the strategic cooperation level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats,” China’s defense ministry said.

No date was specified other than to say that the drills will kick off later this month, and will include the two sides sending naval fleets to “relevant sea areas of the Pacific Ocean” for a joint maritime patrol. Both will also participate in Russia’s “Ocean-2024” strategic exercise.

NATO leaders have recently charged that China has “become a decisive enabler” of Russia military assault on Ukraine. Beijing has in turn warned NATO and Washington against “provoking confrontation.”

Germany’s Deutsche Welle has noted that Russia needs China’s help in asserting itself as a Pacific power, in regional waters which have long remained dominated by US naval patrols:

Russia is seeking China’s help in strengthening its position as a Pacific power, while Moscow has supported China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

Increasingly, this has come to include the 180-kilometer (110-mile) wide Taiwan Strait dividing mainland China from the self-governing.

Russia and China, along with some BRICS countries, have been teaming up against what they see as encroaching “Western hegemony” – which has include a pledge of the “no limits” partnership between Presidents Xi and Putin.

China’s state-run Global Times has framed the upcoming exercises as part of necessary ‘deterrence’ aimed at the West or any external force which interferes in the Pacific region:

China routinely organizes the Interaction series of exercises with Russia and joins strategic exercises organized by Russia, while the two countries also routinely hold joint naval and air patrols. It highlights China and Russia’s close military ties, and the two militaries’ efforts to further deepen pragmatic cooperation, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times.

The military cooperation between China and Russia is at a strategic level in terms of not only the two countries, but also to the region and the world, the expert said, noting the strong capabilities of their militaries can serve as a deterrence to any force that dares to sabotage peace and stability.

In August President Putin hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Moscow, and described at the time that Russia’s economic and trade links with China are “yielding results”.