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BEIJING. August 20. /TASS/. The naval drills of Russia and China off the coast of Vladivostok are not aimed at creating a military alliance between the two countries, Xinhua observer Wang Haiqing wrote on Thursday.
Seven warships of the Chinese Navy led by the Shenyang destroyer earlier on Thursday arrived in Vladivostok to participate in the second phase of the Joint Sea 2015 drills in the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan, the largest exercise in the history of cooperation between the two navies.
The second phase of the Joint Sea 2015 exercise will involve 22 warships, 20 aircraft, over 500 marine infantry personnel and 40 pieces of the armor.
The Xinhua writer said the sensational claim that the two countries are stepping up efforts to forge a military alliance appeared in reports by Western news organizations, which "almost unanimously wove some carefully chosen facts into the background of the news of the Joint Sea-2015 (II) exercise so as to deliver home a false impression."
"Such reports intend to convince readers that China and Russia have enough motive to make the drill an occasion to flex military muscles over potential enemies," Wang Haiqing wrote.
However, the truth is that "China and Russia have never wanted the routine drill, conducted annually by the two navies since 2012, to be a saber-rattling event but one that promotes maritime security and regional stability," he added.
Compared to many other war games staged in the Asia-Pacific region, the Joint Sea exercises focus on emergency response under multiple circumstances, instead of simulating an offensive against a third party, the Xinhua writer said.
"The defensive nature of these maneuvers is in line with China's defense policy," he said.
"Growing military ties between Russia and China have irritated some sensitive nerves, especially in Washington, but it is worth noting that excessive geo-political interpretation of a specific military drill is neither necessary nor justified," Wang Haiqing said.