ANKARA
Over 2,000 Chinese troops joined its strongest partner Russia in this year’s Vostok drills that kicked off in the Far Eastern Military District of Siberia and in water areas and coastal zones of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, China’s state-run media reported on Thursday.
China sent army, navy and air force units under the Northern Theater Command, with more than 2,000 troops, to participate in the military drills Vostok 2022 (East 2022) that began on Wednesday in Russia, the Global Times daily reported.
According to China’s Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui, military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is not aimed at any other country. “But will also not fall prey to external factors,” the newspaper quoted Zhang as saying.
Despite Russia’s war in Ukraine, major military drills have begun.
He said the two countries have previously organized joint military exercises, and joint patrols, and ties are deepening as a result of reciprocal cross-deployment of troops on a series of military drills.
“Among others, with the aim of deepening defense and security exchanges, combating regional terrorism, and safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Earlier, Russian media reported that militaries from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria, and Tajikistan will participate in Vostok drills.
