Chinese and Russian warships let loose a hail of gunfire Tuesday in joint naval exercises in the Baltic Sea.
Chinese and Russian warships let loose a hail of gunfire Tuesday during joint naval exercises in the Baltic Sea.
A Chinese destroyer, frigate, and supply ship carrying ship-borne helicopters and Marines arrived at the Russian harbor at Baltisjk Friday for the “Joint Sea 2017” naval drills. The Russians dispatched one frigate, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and Marines, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency.
China and Russia have been conducting joint military exercises for over a decade, but they began holding joint naval drills only a few years ago. The growing military partnership reflects the desires of their respective leaders to flex their muscles and challenge Western dominance. The two powers joined forces in the South China Sea last year for naval exercises, yet Beijing and Moscow, as is the case this time around, both argued that the drills were not aimed at any third country.
The Baltic Sea, much like the South China Sea, is an area fraught with occasionally high levels of geopolitical tension. The ongoing drills in the Baltic Sea are being monitored, a NATO spokesperson told The New York Times.
While China remains focused on near seas defense, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has been extending its reach beyond the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea.
Towards the end of December, China sent a carrier group led by the Liaoning out of the Western Pacific, with Chinese media asserting that one day Chinese carriers will sail into the Eastern Pacific.
