Participation in Vostok 2018 indicative of growing strategic trust and military cooperation between Beijing, Moscow, defence ministry says
China’s participation in Vostok 2018, Russia’s largest military exercise for 37 years, will enhance the counter-attacking capabilities of its armed forces and reinforce ties with its northern neighbour, Beijing said on Tuesday, amid rising tensions with the United States.
The five days of war games got under way on Tuesday at five military training grounds in Russia’s Far East region, and in the waters of the Sea of Japan (or East Sea), the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk
“The focus of the drill has expanded from anti-terrorism to allied defence and counter-attack,” China’s defence ministry said in a statement.
“[It also] signifies that the political strategic trust and military cooperation between China and Russia has reached a historic high.”
About 300,000 Russian troops, 1,000 aircraft and 36,000 military vehicles are taking part in the exercise, which is the biggest in the country since Zapad-81 at the height of the cold war.
China is represented by 3,200 troops, more than 1,000 vehicles, six fixed-wing aircraft and 24 helicopters. The latter comprise six Mi-171s, which were bought from Russia in 2014 and are making their first appearance in such an exercise, nine Z-9s and nine Z-19s.
Vostok 2018 is the largest overseas joint military exercise involving Chinese troops since 2012.
