China, Russia conclude joint naval drills

China and Russia on December 27 completed a joint naval exercise "Maritime Cooperation-2022", which was held in the waters of the East China Sea.

The exercises of the two countries' warships took place over seven days. As part of the maneuvers, the groups of ships practiced, in particular, anti-submarine operations and air defense tasks, Interfax reported via the CGTN television channel.

According to Rear Admiral Wang Yu, representative of the navy of People's Liberation Army of China, the joint exercises have become another successful example of cooperation between the navies of China and Russia.

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said last week that the Russian-Chinese military exercises are being conducted as a response to the aggressive military buildup of the United States in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

“Russian-Chinese sea and air patrols in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as exercises and trainings, have become a practical implementation of the strategic partnership with China. The purpose of such events is to increase the combat coherence of the troops and forces of the two countries and the ability to withstand new challenges and threats,” he said at a briefing on December 22.

"This cooperation is a natural response to the aggressive U.S. military buildup in the region. At the same time, we are not going to create any alliances and new dividing lines in the region following Washington's example. The exercises are being conducted in strict compliance with international law," Gerasimov noted.

The Russian-Chinese naval exercise "Maritime Cooperation 2022" was held in the waters of the East China Sea from December 21 to 27.