HONG KONG, July 16. /TASS/. China and Russia need to hold joint exercises in the Sea of Japan to overcome all potential risks and consequences posed by US activity in the region, Zhou Chenming, a researcher at the Beijing-based Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank, told the South China Morning Post.

"The sour ties between China and the US, and the US and Russia, are pushing Beijing and Moscow closer together," he said. "More isolation of China and Russia will only push the PLA and Russian militaries to conduct more joint military exercises."

Zhou Chenming said the US was not only working with Japan and South Korea but also other allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region to try to isolate Russia and China.

The newspaper said that defense experts view the joint drills as a clear response to Washington’s attempts to work more closely with regional allies Japan and South Korea to prepare for a possible conflict with Beijing over Taiwan, posing a potential threat to both China and Russia.

Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former PLA instructor, said the strategic maritime corridors mentioned by the Chinese Defense Ministry included three straits near Japan - the Tsushima, Soya and Tsugaru straits - that could become key strongholds for the United States and its allies to block China and Russia from accessing the Western Pacific.

"In order to break through the possible barriers of any potential risks, it’s very important for the PLA and its Russian counterpart to hold regular drills," Song said.

 

Russian-Chines exercises

 

The Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that the armed forces of Russia and China would soon hold Northern Interaction-2023 exercise in the Sea of Japan. Russia will send troops from its Aerospace Forces and Navy to take part the drills that are organized by the People’s Liberation Army’s Northern Theatre Command.

In June, the PLA and Russian forces held a joint aerial strategic patrol in airspace over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, which was their sixth such drill since 2019.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a joint flight of strategic bombers Tu-95MS of Russia and H-6K of China lasted about 8 hours. Russian and Chinese fighter jets Su-30SM and J-11B accompanied the flight. Russian warplanes took off from and landed at a Chinese airfield for the patrol. The strategic warplanes were escorted by foreign fighter jets during some stretches of their flight.