Ministry says China-Russia military ties should be viewed objectively and rationally

The Ministry of National Defense urged relevant parties on Friday to view China-Russia military cooperation objectively and rationally, stressing that such cooperation is not directed at any third party.

Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the ministry, made the remarks in response to a question about recent joint naval exercises and a maritime patrol conducted by the two countries.

Jiang said the China-Russia Exercise Joint Sea-2026 was recently held successfully in the waters and airspace near Qingdao, Shandong province.

Participating forces from the two sides carried out drills on multiple subjects, including joint reconnaissance and air and missile defense, and accomplished all tasks, he said.

The two sides have now transitioned to a joint maritime patrol, Jiang added.

The activities were conducted in accordance with the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries and were designed to improve their capability to conduct joint operations and respond to maritime security threats, he said.

"They are not related to the current international and regional situation," Jiang said.

He emphasized that military cooperation between China and Russia has always followed the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party.

Such cooperation has played an important role in safeguarding the sovereignty and security of both countries and maintaining international and regional peace and stability, the spokesman said.

He called on relevant parties to take an objective and rational view of China-Russia military cooperation and refrain from making unfounded assumptions or attempting to smear and sensationalize the cooperation.