China, Russia hold simultaneous joint naval drill, patrol

Destroyer Jinanof Chinese navy (front) and cruiser Varyagof Russian navy are seen during a joint naval exercise, Joint Sea 2022, in the East China Sea on Dec. 21, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)

The navies of China and Russia are holding a joint exercise in the South China Sea and a joint maritime patrol in the Pacific Ocean in moves experts said on Sunday aim to enhance military cooperation and safeguard peace and stability.

The China-Russia Joint Sea-2024 joint naval exercise kicked off on Sunday at a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province with an opening ceremony, the news center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on social media platforms on Sunday.

The Chinese and Russian joint warship formation will conduct live-fire drills in multiple training courses including joint stationary defense, joint reconnaissance and early warning, joint search and rescue as well as joint air defense in waters and airspace near Zhanjiang, said the news center of the PLA.

Facing the South China Sea, Zhanjiang is home to the headquarters of the navy of the PLA Southern Theater Command, according to publicly available information.

The Chinese side is sending the Type 052D destroyer Nanning, Type 054A frigates Xianningand Dali, Type 903 comprehensive supply ship Weishanhuand shipborne helicopters and marines, while the Russian side is sending the corvettes Gromkiyand Rezkiyas well as the Irkutoiler, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said in a press release on Friday that the exercise, which is scheduled to last until mid-July, is to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability, and it will further deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

The Chinese Defense Ministry also announced on Sunday that a China-Russia warship formation recently launched their fourth joint maritime exercise in waters in the western and northern Pacific Ocean, which does not target a third party and is not related to the current international or regional situations.

The warships featured in the joint patrol are for the most part different from those featured the joint exercise, according to a July 4 report by the Russian News Agency Tass on the joint patrol, which said that the joint patrol featured the Russian corvette Sovershenny, the PLA Navy's Type 052D destroyer Yinchuan, Type 054A frigate Hengshuiand Type 903 replenishment ship Weishanhu.

Different vessels and different locations indicate that the joint drill and the joint patrol are two separate events, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

The joint drill and patrol show a wide spectrum of China-Russia naval cooperation, as the two countries can send many warships to different waters simultaneously, the expert said.

Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that the China-Russia joint naval activities are routine. 

Both countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council that shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding world peace and stability, both countries advocate true multilateralism, and both countries oppose hegemonic acts and bloc confrontations in international relations, Zhang said.

Observers expect more similar joint drills and patrols in the future.