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Chinese and Russian armed forces agree to hold more joint drills
- Senior military officers agree to exercises just days after aircraft conduct patrols near South Korea
- Beijing-Moscow cooperation has had a stabilising effect on the world, Russian general says
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Chinese and Russian forces will hold joint drills, military leaders from the two countries announced on Friday, three days after joint air patrols near its eastern neighbours raised tensions with South Korea and Japan.
In a video call on Friday, Liu Zhenli, head of China’s Joint Staff Department, and Valery Gerasimov, the Russian military’s chief of general staff, confirmed Moscow’s participation in the “Northern Joint 2023” exercises.
The time and location drills have not been announced.
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According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, Gerasimov told Liu that cooperation between Beijing and Moscow had had a “stabilising effect on the world situation”.
“I am convinced that today’s talks will serve to further strengthen the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership in the defence sphere,” Gerasimov said, adding that the two countries’ joint operational and combat training would “continue to be a priority”.
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Gerasimov also said Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu’s trip to Moscow in April was “of great significance” to the development of defence cooperation between China and Russia.
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