China says Russia to participate in naval drill in Pacific later this month

ISTANBUL

China said on Monday that Russia will participate in an upcoming military exercise that will take place in the Pacific Ocean later this month.

China's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that the Russian military will send naval and air forces to the North-Joint 2024 exercise, which will be held in and around the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk this September.

“This exercise aims to deepen the strategic cooperation level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly respond to security threats,” the statement added.

The Russian and Chinese navies will conduct a fifth joint maritime patrol, it said, adding that Beijing will also participate in the Ocean-2024 strategic exercise, which will be organized by Moscow.

The statement did not specify the exact date of the North-Joint 2024 exercise.

China's statement comes weeks after Japan claimed that a Chinese military spy plane violated its airspace for the first time, reportedly entering Japanese airspace above the waters of the East China Sea, near islands in the southwestern province of Nagasaki.

Most recently, China and Russia conducted a joint military exercise in the waters and airspace adjacent to Zhanjiang, located in south China's Guangdong Province, back in July.

The joint exercises between China and Russia serve as a notable display of their strategic partnership, with analysts viewing them as a response to the escalating US military presence in the region.