China to send troops to Russia for joint military exercises

Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in joint military exercises that will start at the end of the month, Beijing’s defence ministry has said.

Last month, Moscow announced plans to hold “Vostok” (East) military drills from August 30 to September 5, saying some foreign forces would also take part without naming them.

Beijing and Moscow have close defence links and China has said it wants to push bilateral relations “to a higher level,” even as Moscow faces international sanctions and widespread condemnation over its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement.

India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other countries will also participate, it said.

Relations between Russia and China have grown increasingly close under Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Beijing has been under pressure for its opposition to sanctions imposed by many Western countries over the war. Shortly before the invasion, Moscow and Beijing agreed on a “no limits” partnership.

Agencies