China, Russia launch joint naval drills in Sea of Japan
The maritime exercises, dubbed Joint Sea-2025, began on Aug 3rd, near Russia’s eastern port city of Vladivostok and are scheduled to run for three days.
China and Russia have commenced a new round of joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan, signaling a continued push to solidify their military alliance and challenge what they perceive as a U.S.-dominated global order.
The maritime exercises, dubbed Joint Sea-2025, began on Aug 3rd, near Russia’s eastern port city of Vladivostok and are scheduled to run for three days.
According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Defense, the drills will cover a range of coordinated military operations, including submarine rescues, joint anti-submarine warfare, air defence, anti-missile maneuvers, and maritime combat tactics.
Participating in the exercises are four Chinese warships among them the guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi alongside Russian naval vessels. Upon conclusion of the drills, both countries are expected to conduct joint patrols in parts of the Pacific Ocean.
The Joint Sea series, which began in 2012, has become an annual fixture in China-Russia defence cooperation. Last year’s iteration took place off the southern coast of China. This year, the Chinese Defense Ministry said the goal is to “deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two nations.
The military collaboration comes as Beijing and Moscow continue to tighten their broader political and economic ties, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
While Western governments have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia and rallied support for Ukraine, China has maintained a careful diplomatic line refusing to condemn Russia’s actions or demand a troop withdrawal.
Despite repeated calls from Beijing for a negotiated end to the war, the West remains skeptical of China’s neutrality. U.S. and European officials have accused China of indirectly aiding Russia, including through the supply of components that could support its war effort.
The joint drills highlight the growing defence alignment between the two powers at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances on the global stage.
