Naval maneuvers planned for this week between the Russian and Chinese navies in the East China Sea are a “reaction” to the “aggressive” position of the United States in Asia, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said Thursday.
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“This cooperation is a natural reaction to the aggressive accumulation of American military potential in the region,” Guerassimov argued in front of military representatives of foreign countries.
“Russian-Chinese maritime and air patrols in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as exercises and training have become a practical implementation of the strategic partnership with China,” he said during his speech.
On Monday, Russia announced that several of its warships would take part in exercises with the Chinese navy between December 21 and 27, as Moscow and Beijing strengthen their ties against Westerners in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine.
Joint missile, artillery and anti-submarine warfare exercises are also on the program, the Russian Defense Ministry said at the time.
“The aim of these exercises is to increase the combat coherence of the troops and forces of the two countries and their ability to resist new challenges and new threats,” Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.
The Russian chief of staff asserted that Moscow and Beijing did not however intend to “create alliances” or “new cleavages in the region, like Washington”.
Russia has been seeking in recent months to strengthen its ties with Asian countries, particularly China, in the face of Western sanctions taken against it following its offensive against Ukraine.
Moscow and Beijing present themselves as a geopolitical counterweight to the United States and its allies, as evidenced by the visit to China on Wednesday by the former Russian president and current number two of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, during which he notably met President Xi Jinping.