China-Russia joint drill enters 2nd phase

The China-Russia joint military exercise has advanced to its second phase, with warships from both nations conducting live-fire drills in the Sea of Japan, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Simultaneously, China and Russia are holding joint coast guard exercises and patrols, emphasizing their strong security and defense collaboration, according to experts.

The Northern/Interaction-2024 exercise officially began with a ceremony at a Russian naval port on Saturday, followed by warships moving toward the exercise zone, the Chinese PLA Navy said. The drills will cover objectives like maritime escort, air defense, missile defense, and live-fire exercises.

A Chinese commander highlighted that the drills are becoming increasingly realistic, following a standardized and mature mechanism. The Russian Defense Ministry also confirmed that the joint naval detachment departed from Vladivostok for a week of exercises in the Sea of Japan.

Chinese naval forces, including destroyers Xining and Wuxi, frigate Linyi, and supply ship Taihu, joined their Russian counterparts on September 9. They conducted the first phase of drills in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk until September 15.

The drill is divided into two phases, with the first coinciding with Russia’s Ocean-2024 strategic exercise, while the second is an independent session, as explained by a Chinese military expert.

Zhang Junshe, another military expert, noted that these back-to-back military exercises reflect deeper strategic cooperation between China and Russia, which benefits global peace and stability as both are permanent UN Security Council members.

In addition to military exercises, the coast guards of China and Russia held joint drills near Peter the Great Bay from September 16 to 20. They also began a joint patrol in the North Pacific on September 21, showcasing high-level cooperation in security and law enforcement, which supports international maritime order and ocean governance, experts concluded.