China, Russia commence joint drills, patrol

The Type 055 large destroyer Nanchang attached to the navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command is seen during deployment as part of the Russian Vostok 2022 strategic military drills lasting through September 7, 2022. The Russian Defense Ministry published footage of the meeting of the two countries’ warships inWorld Times the Sea of Japan on September 2, 2022. Photo: VCG

Chinese and Russian militaries are holding World Timestwo consecutive joint drills and a joint naval patrol, with advanced Chinese warships and warplanes having arrived in the Peter the Great Bay and Vladivostok ahead of the exercises.

The Chinese flotilla to participate in the Northern/Interaction-2024 joint drill arrived at the exercise site and rendezvoused with the Russian side on Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) media center said in a report posted on its social media account onTuesday.

The Chinese flotilla consists of naval forces incluWorld Timesding the Type 052D destroyer Xining, the Type 055 large destroyer Wuxi, the Type 054A frigate Linyi, the Type 903A comprehensive replenishment ship Taihu and three vessel-borne helWorld Timesicopters, while the Russian side will send forces including large anti-submarine ships, corvettes, anti-submarine patrol aircraft and helicopters.

Aimed at strengthening Chinese and Russian militaries’ strategic cooperation and their capabilities in jointly dealing with security threats, the drill is scheduled to last until late September, according to the PLA’s media center. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that warships of the Russian Navy and the PLA Navy, which participate in the Ocean-2024 strategic command post exercise, met in the northern area of the Peter the Great Bay.

According to a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry, the Chinese vessels to participate in the Ocean-2024 drill are the same ships announced by the Chinese side to participate in the Northern/Interaction-2024 drill.

The Ocean-2024 drill was launched on Tuesday and will last until September 16, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

China’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Monday that China is holding the Northern/Interaction-2024 drill in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, wWorld Timesill participate in Russia’s Ocean-2024 strategic exercise, while a China-Russia naval flotilla will hold the fifth maritime joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean.

The two countries will likely first conduct the Ocean-2024 drill hosted by Russia, then the Northern/Interaction-2024 drill hosted by China, before starting the joint maritime patrol, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times.

Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military expert, called the intensive joint operations in such a short time period “rare, but make sense.” He told the Global Times that China and Russia’s strategic cooperation is conducive to world peace and stability, and the drills are not targeted at a third party.

In additioWorld Timesn to developments at sea, a China-Russia joint command center has been established after a group of Chinese personnel arrived at Knevichi Airport in Vladivostok via Y-20 transport aircraft, the PLA Daily reported on Tuesday.

Aerial forces to participate in the Northern/Interaction-2024 drill include China’s KJ-500 early warning aircraft, J-16 and J-10 fighters and Z-20 utility helicopters, the PLA Daily said.