The Chinese military announced Wednesday that it would hold an annual naval exercise and conduct a maritime joint patrol with Russian forces next month. Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said that the Joint Sea 2025 exercise would be held in the air and seas near the Russian port city of Vladivostok, which lies across the sea from Japan’s west coast. Last year, the drill was held off southern China in the South China Sea. The Chinese and Russian governments have deepened their ties in recent years, with China providing an economic lifeline to Russia in the face of Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. European leaders asked China again last week to use its influence to pressure Russia to end the war, now in its fourth year, but there was no sign that Beijing would do so. Japan’s Defense Ministry said in an annual report earlier this month that China’s growing military cooperation with Russia poses serious security concerns. Zhang said the exercise and patrol are part of an annual cooperation plan and are not aimed at any other country or related to the current international or regional situation.

Full report : China and Russia to hold joint naval exercise near Japan next month.