On July 14, 2024, Chinese and Russian naval forces launched a joint exercise called “Exercise Joint Sea-2024” at a military port in southern China. Commenting on the issue, the Chinese Defense Ministry said that both navies had recently patrolled the Western and North Pacific Ocean, and that the operation had nothing to do with international and regional situations and did not target any third side.[1]
To recall, the Chinese and Russian navies conducted a joint patrol in the region a few days after the United States, Japan, and South Korea completed a trilateral exercise. Also during this period, China and Russia conducted a joint military exercise in the border region, focusing on counter-terrorism, counter-extremism, and intelligence sharing. China’s ongoing support for Russia was one of the most criticized issues at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington. While denying these allegations, China sent a message of commitment by conducting military exercises with Belarus in Eastern Europe and with Russia in the Pacific.
Regardless of the developments in the international arena, there is still a continuing strategic partnership and military cooperation between China and Russia, including joint exercises and patrols. It would not be accurate to attribute these developing ties entirely to the recent increased pressure and criticism from the West. These military partnerships between the two great powers have been developing since the beginning of the 21st century. Such maneuvers are seen as highly convenient to increase the readiness of the militaries and to send a message of deterrence and resolve. Upon the expansion of Western defense-security cooperation towards the Eurasian Continent and the Pacific Ocean, Asian actors such as China and Russia have stepped up such military cooperation to show their opposition and increase their coordination.
China and Russia’s maritime maneuvers are not new. In July and August 2023, the Russian-Chinese joint fleet continued its maritime security activities in the Pacific Ocean and conducted joint exercises off the coast of Alaska. The joint fleet’s patrol mission extended to the East China Sea. Here, Russian ships visited Qingdao Port in China’s Shandong Province.[2] Such maneuvers are carried out based on the annual cooperation plan between the two armies. In this context, they do not target any third-side.[3] In the same period, it was claimed that there would be a trilateral naval exercise between Russia, North Korea, and China, but this did not happen. Meanwhile, it was claimed that Russia had made an offer to both North Korea and China regarding the trilateral exercises.[4] Russia, which did not receive the support it expected from China on this matter, managed to establish a major military partnership with North Korea.
The reason for China’s reluctance to engage in joint military maneuvers with Russia and North Korea is because of its opposition to engaging in polarization-bloc politics with the West in the region. Beijing’s biggest criticism is that the West has extended Cold War-type bloc politics to the Eurasian continent and the Pacific. Therefore, China objects to Russia and North Korea entering into this type of military bloc. It is because such coalitions lead to further deterioration of regional security and stability and cause a security dilemma. Whereas Russia and North Korea are playing the same (zero-sum) game with the West, leaning towards the politics of polarization and favoring Cold War-type blocs.
On the other hand, China is expanding its bilateral military cooperation with Russia in order to guarantee regional security, take a strong stance against Western powers, and send a message of resolve. Unlike North Korea’s military partnership coalition with Russia, China welcomes and supports security cooperation based on regional security and stability. The recent move by the United States, South Korea, and Japan to form concrete military coalitions may lead to China’s greater cooperation with Russia in the future. Therefore, soon, we may see China conducting more exercises with Russia in the South and East China Sea, as well as in the Korean and Japanese Seas.
According to the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in February 2024, China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination on Asia-Pacific affairs and mutually protect regional security, stability, and development.[5] Aiming to increase its strategic coordination with Russia in platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China also seeks to extend this partnership to the seas.
Although their visions of the world are competing, China’s military cooperation with Russia in the near seas is noteworthy. As it can be claimed that Moscow and Beijing are still not fully aligned in the political, economic, and security sectors, mostly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Indeed, Beijing and Moscow declared their “boundless” friendship in a joint statement on February 4, 2022, but with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Chinese officials have realized that this “boundless partnership” may have some limits. Nevertheless, the two great powers have endeavored to put aside their differences and elevate bilateral relations around common interests.
Having lost its former influence in its nearby geography, especially in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on China’s support. The joint activities of the Russian Navy with the Chinese Navy in the South China Sea is one of the concrete indicators of this support. However, it is important to emphasize that this partnership has also limits. After all, China is opposed to building a “dangerous military partnership-coalition” with Russia that could confront the West.
[1] “China, Russia Start Naval Drills, Days After NATO Says Beijing Enables Ukraine War”, RFERL, https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-china-naval-maneuvers/33035868.html, (Date of Access: 16.07.2024).
[2] “Russian Warships Visit China Following Joint Naval Patrol in Pacific Ocean”, Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1296785.shtml, (Date of Access: 16.07.2024).
[3] “Russia and China hold joint naval war games in the Pacific”, New Arab, https://www.newarab.com/news/russia-and-china-hold-joint-naval-war-games-pacific, (Date of Access: 16.07.2024).
[4] “Russia Proposed Three-Way Naval Exercise With N. Korea, China: NIS”, Korea Times, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/09/103_358482.html, (Date of Access: 16.07.2024).
[5] “China Says Beijing and Moscow Should Strengthen Coordination on Asia Pacific”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-says-beijing-moscow-should-strengthen-coordination-asia-pacific-2024-02-28/, (Date of Access: 16.07.2024).
