Key facts
- Chinese and Russian naval warships completed a joint patrol lasting more than two weeks.
- The patrol traversed key Northeast Asian waterways, including the Miyako, Vries, and La Perouse Straits.
- The exercise involved joint counter-terrorism, humanitarian rescue, and visit-board-search-and-seizure operations.
- China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that China and Russia should strengthen strategic coordination and prevent Japan from rearming.
Chinese and Russian naval warships have concluded a joint patrol that spanned over two weeks, arriving in Vladivostok, Russia's Far East, on Wednesday. The patrol, part of the annual military cooperation plan between the two nations, was stated by China's state news agency Xinhua to be unrelated to the current international and regional situation.
The naval task force departed from Qingdao, China, on July 13. During their transit, they sailed through strategically important Northeast Asian waterways, including the Miyako Strait, Vries Strait (known as Etorofu Strait in Japan), and La Perouse Strait (known as Soya Strait in Japan). These routes are closely monitored by the United States, Japan, and other regional powers.
The patrol involved a range of exercises, including helicopter cross-deck landings, joint counter-terrorism drills, humanitarian rescue missions, and visit-board-search-and-seizure operations. Chinese warships also conducted additional combat-oriented exercises based on real-time maritime and air conditions.
China and Russia have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years through joint exercises and patrols. Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, emphasizing the need for strengthened strategic coordination and the safeguarding of World War Two outcomes, stating they should "never allow Japan to rearm."