The Sino-Russian alliance stronger than ever?
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced that Beijing would send troops to Russia to participate in the annual "Vostok" exercises, scheduled from August 30 to September 5 according to Moscow, to "deepen cooperation" between the two armed forces and take bilateral relations "to a higher level".
"The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of the participating countries, increase the level of strategic collaboration between the participating parties and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats," the ministry said. of the defense.
Beijing assures that its participation is “unrelated to the current situation at the regional and international level”.
India and Belarus also in the game
Apart from China, India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan, among others, will also participate in these exercises.
In recent months, China and India have been accused in recent months of providing diplomatic cover for Russia by opposing Western sanctions and arms sales to Ukraine.
These are the second exercises jointly conducted by China and Russia this year.
Last May, the two countries organized 13-hour maneuvers near Japan and South Korea, forcing the latter to launch fighter jets as a deterrent, when US President Joe Biden was in Tokyo.
Washington regularly worries about the rapprochement between China and Russia, believing that it endangers global security.
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Asked about Chinese participation in these joint exercises, State Department spokesman Ned Price, however, indicated that the United States had no "particular interpretation".
“Most of the countries concerned also regularly participate in a wide range of military exercises and exchanges with the United States,” he told a press conference.
