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Russian, Chinese aviation drills not aimed against Japan, says Lavrov

The Minister pointed out the US’s plans to deploy the missile defense systems and intermediate-range missiles on Japanese and South Korean territory as potential threats

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Mutual military exercise of Russia and China seek to increase the combat readiness of the two countries and is not aimed against Japan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Monday.

"If we speak about the military situation in the region, then yes, China and US, we engage in joint work, including on military exercises. Russian-Chinese drills are nothing particularly new. They already happened several times on the ground, both in bilateral format and within the SCO. This time, the drills happened amid the air forces. They are not aimed against Japan. They aim to heighten the combat readiness of the aviation that guards both the Russian and the Chinese border," he said, answering a question from a Japanese journalist.

The Minister pointed out the US’s plans to deploy the missile defense systems and intermediate-range missiles on Japanese and South Korean territory as potential threats.

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