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Russia joins China in naval exercises
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THE Chinese and Russian navies launched eight days of war games in the South China Sea yesterday in a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces.
The “Joint Sea-2016” maneuvers include ships, submarines, ship-borne helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with marines and amphibious armored vehicles who will conduct live-firing exercises, according to China’s defense ministry.
Tasks will include defensive and rescue drills, anti-submarine exercises and the simulated seizure of an enemy island by marines from both sides.
The exercise is part of an annual program which “aims to consolidate and advance the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and deepen friendly and practical cooperation between the two militaries,” Chinese navy spokesman Liang Yang was quoted as saying.
“It will also improve coordination between the two navies on joint defense operations at sea,” Liang said.
The ministry didn’t say exactly where the drills would be held in the South China Sea. However, Xinhua news agency said the exercises would be held off the Guangdong coast.
During a visit to China last month, the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, said: “There are other places those exercises could have been conducted.” He described them actions “that are not increasing the stability within the region.”
Xinhua rejected such sentiments in a commentary yesterday, saying those viewing the exercises as threatening were “either ill-informed ... or misled by their prejudice about China and Russia.”
“A logical guess is that, for those who have bought the sensational claim regarding the drill, they probably only see words like ‘island seizing’ and ‘South Sea Fleet’ and start to imagine a war in the South China Sea,” Xinhua said, blaming Western media reports.
Russian news outlets said 18 ships, 21 aircraft and more than 250 marines from both sides would take part in the drills. The ships include destroyers, cruisers, a Russian battleship, amphibious warfare ships and supply vessels.
However, Xinhua said the Russian component would include three surface ships, two supply ships, two helicopters, 96 marines, and amphibious armored equipment.
China’s navy would contribute 10 ships, including destroyers, frigates, amphibious ships, supply vessels and submarines, along with 11 fixed-wing aircraft, eight helicopters, 160 marines and amphibious armor.
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