SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - China and Russia are set to conduct a joint naval and air exercise in the East Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk this September, continuing a series of collaborative drills aimed at strengthening military cooperation, analysts said on Monday.
According to China's Ministry of National Defense, the Russian military will dispatch naval and air forces for the Northern/Interaction-2024 exercise, organized by China as part of an annual plan and mutual agreements. The drills will take place in the East Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk during the month.
The primary goal of the exercise is to deepen strategic coordination between the two countries' militaries and enhance their ability to address security threats, the Chinese Defense Ministry stated.
China has previously held several editions of the Interaction exercises with Russia, including Western/Interaction-2021 in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which involved ground and air forces, and Northern/Interaction-2023 in the East Sea, featuring naval and air forces.
Additionally, a China-Russia naval flotilla will undertake the fifth joint maritime patrol in the Pacific Ocean, and China will participate in Russia's Ocean-2024 strategic exercise, the ministry announced.
These regular joint exercises and patrols demonstrate the close military ties between China and Russia, reflecting their efforts to deepen practical cooperation, according to a Beijing-based military expert who spoke to the Global Times anonymously.
The expert added that the strategic level of military collaboration between China and Russia not only impacts the two countries but also holds significance for the broader region and global stability, serving as a deterrent to any forces threatening peace.
