In response to US sanctions against both countries, China and Russia have begun live-fire naval activities in the South China Sea, strengthening their defense and business relationships. The combined drills, set to past three weeks, involve at least three warships from each state, as reported by the state-controlled Global Times paper.
The drills may contain live-fire training, surveillance, first warning, search and rescue, and heat defense exercises. The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions and fields, according to Wang Guangzheng of the People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ) Navy’s Southern Theatre. and significantly improved the ability for the two parties to listen to maritime safety threats together.
Following a individual joint naval exercise in the north of the country before, The vessels for the latest activities departed from a marine port in Zhanjiang, located in southern China’s Guangdong province, on Monday.
China has a majority of the South China Sea under its handle, including the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. In order to defend its sea claims, which have recently become a controversial topic of conversation between the two countries, the Philippines has intentionally grounded a dirty warship it. Due to rising tensions, US officials have to advise Beijing of their impenetrable common defense agreements with the Philippines.
Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing immediately before launching an invasion of Ukraine established the” no limits” agreement between China and Russia in 2022. China has no condemned the war and has increased its imports to Russia, aiding Moscow’s war business.
In 2023, two-way trade between China and Russia reached a record$ 240.1 billion, a 26.3 % increase from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data. Conversely, China-US trade declined by 11.6 % last year, totaling$ 664.5 billion, the data shows.
