China and Russia move closer to de facto military alliance amid US pressure

Defence chiefs agree to expand cooperation through strategic exercises and joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific, according to Russian ministry

Minister Sergei Shoigu says there has been a ‘significant intensification’ in activities by US strategic bombers near Russia’s borders

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Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu shows his signature on a road map for military cooperation between Russia and China during a video call with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Published: 6:01pm, 24 Nov 2021

China and Russia are edging closer to a de facto military alliance to counter growing pressure from the United States, with the Russian defence chief telling his Chinese counterpart that US aircraft activity near the country’s borders had increased.

In a video call on Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe agreed to expand cooperation through strategic exercises and joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific, including the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, according to Russia’s defence ministry.

Shoigu said there had been a “significant intensification” in activities by US strategic bombers near Russia’s borders. “Over the past month, about 30 sorties have been made to the borders of the Russian Federation, which is 2.5 times more than in the corresponding period last year,” he said.

That included this month’s Global Thunder exercise, which Shoigu claimed involved 10 US strategic bombers in a scenario of using nuclear weapons against Russia from the west and east, and that they came within 20km (12 miles) of the Russian border.

Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said Russia had “successfully countered” pressure and military threats from the US. Photo: AP

Shoigu noted that US air patrols near Russia’s eastern borders had increased, with a total of 22 strategic flights over the Sea of Okhotsk in 2020 – up from three the previous year – which he said posed a threat to both Russia and China.