China and Russia begin joint naval exercises, days after NATO allies labelled Beijing a war supporter of Ukraine

The naval forces of China and Russia launched a joint exercise at a military port in southern China on July 14, according to the official news agency Xinhua This was reported just days after NATO allies described Beijing as a “key enabler” of the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a brief statement that forces from both sides had recently patrolled the western and northern Pacific and that the operation had nothing to do with international or regional situations and was not directed against third parties.

The exercise, which began on July 14 in Guangdong province and is expected to last until mid-July, aimed to demonstrate the navies’ capabilities in dealing with security threats and maintaining peace and stability at the global and regional levels. Video surveillance was reported on July 13, adding that it would also include missile defense exercises, naval strikes and air defense.

Xinhua The news agency reported that after the opening ceremony in Zhanjiang, the Chinese and Russian navies conducted military simulation and tactical coordination exercises on the map.

Increasing tensions between NATO and China

The joint exercises came immediately after recent tensions between China and its NATO allies last week.

Read also: NATO expresses concern about deepening relations between Russia and China

The strongly worded final communiqué adopted by the 32 NATO members at their summit in Washington made it clear that China is increasingly becoming the focus of the military alliance. Beijing was described as a “decisive enabler” of the Russian war against Ukraine.

NATO and its partners in the Indo-Pacific are increasingly aware of the shared security concerns of Russia and its Asian backers, particularly China.

In response, China accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and urged the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that China has a fair and objective attitude towards the war in Ukraine.

Also read: China calls on NATO not to create chaos in Asia; rejects accusation that Russia ‘enabled’ war in Ukraine

Last week, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea also encountered several Chinese military vessels in international waters but within the U.S. economic zone, American officials said. The crew spotted three vessels about 200 km north of Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, which mark a divide and connection between the North Pacific and the Bering Sea.

A fourth ship was later spotted about 135 kilometers north of the Amukta Pass. The US side said the Chinese warships were operating within international rules and norms.