Russia, China agree to deepen defense cooperation, joint exercises

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Russia and China agree to deepen defense cooperation with a focus on holding joint exercises, Moscow's Security Council said on Monday.

"The sides agreed on further military cooperation with a focus on joint exercises and patrols, as well as on strengthening contacts between the General Staffs," it said.

The announcement comes as Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev travels to China for security briefings and meetings with government leaders.

Russia and China have increased their cooperation in recent years, proclaiming a "no limits" partnership.

Yesterday, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that Russia and China have no desire of establishing world domination through their cooperation agreements. 

"Russia and China are not seeking to rule the whole world when they implement their bilateral agreements. We know that other countries have such a tendency," he said in the interview with Rossiya 1 television channel.

Peskov added that the US has been a great source of destabilization and provocative actions in light of its recent geopolitical aggressions.

The Spokesperson also noted that US sanctions on Russia and threats of secondary sanctions on China have had a limited impact on the relations between Moscow and Beijing, adding that the prospects for further development are positive.

"There are of course many complications. Sanctions and the threat of secondary sanctions have had a negative impact. But their influence is rather limited because the general trend remains positive," Peskov said.

Joint exercises 

Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told a news briefing for foreign military attachés that Russia and China have practiced joint operations by warships and aircraft during the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise.

He stressed that "the joint use of aircraft and warships by Russia and China was the main feature of the exercise."

Fomin said that within the framework of the drills "massive fire strikes and defensive and offensive operations against overland forces and aircraft carrier-led strike groups of a mock enemy" were practiced.

In August of last year, Russia and China conducted joint military exercises in north-central China which included over 10,000 troops. Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Defense Minister, hailed the Sibu/Cooperation-2021 drills in China's Ningxia and suggested they be expanded.

Russia and China conducted joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan in October. A few days later, Russian and Chinese warships conducted their first joint patrols in the western Pacific.

Shortly before the war in Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership, despite the US failed attempts to push China to join US-led sanctions against Russia right after the start of the war.