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China and Russia will conduct their annual joint naval exercises this month before carrying out maritime patrols in parts of the Pacific Ocean, China’s defence ministry announced on Sunday.
According to the ministry, the exercise, tagged “Joint Sea-2026,” will take place in waters and airspace off Qingdao, a major military port in eastern China.
It said naval forces from both countries would participate in the drills, after which selected forces would undertake joint maritime patrols in unspecified areas of the Pacific Ocean.
The ministry explained that the exercise was designed to strengthen cooperation between the two militaries, jointly address security challenges and contribute to regional peace and stability.
“Following the exercise, some forces from both sides will conduct a joint maritime patrol in relevant areas of the Pacific Ocean.
“This arrangement is aimed at jointly responding to security challenges and safeguarding regional peace and stability, ” the statement said.
It, however, did not disclose the size of the forces to be deployed.
The announcement comes about two months after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin visited China, where he and Xi Jinping reaffirmed the growing partnership between their countries.
During the visit, Putin described bilateral relations as unprecedented, while Xi characterised the relationship as steadfast and enduring.
Beijing and Moscow have expanded military cooperation in recent years through regular joint exercises, a development that has drawn concern from the United States and several Western governments, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The two countries have held the “Joint Sea” naval exercises annually since 2012. Last year’s edition was conducted near the Russian port city of Vladivostok and was also followed by joint patrols in the Pacific Ocean.
Although China has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has consistently maintained that it remains neutral in the conflict and has repeatedly called for peace negotiations.
However, several of Ukraine’s Western allies, including the United States, have accused Beijing of supporting Moscow’s war effort, an allegation China has repeatedly denied.
