China and Russia are becoming more ambitious in their military cooperation, with a joint patrol around Japan sending a message to Tokyo and the United States, according to analysts. Three Chinese naval vessels and a Russian Navy corvette left Qingdao in China on July 13, passing through the western Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, as part of a 17-day joint patrol. Then on Sunday and Monday, three Chinese naval vessels – Type 055 and Type 052D missile destroyers alongside a Type 903 support ship – were spotted moving southwest through the Korea Strait, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defence. The ministry said this week’s passage completed a circumnavigation of the Japanese archipelago for the three Chinese ships.

Full report : Chinese and Russian warships were seen circling Japan. What could it mean?