China says to hold military drills with Russia this month

China said Monday it would hold joint military drills with Russia this month, as the allies deepen ties that have seen NATO dub Beijing an “enabler” of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Naval and air forces will take part in the “North-Joint 2024” exercises in the skies and around the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk, off Russia’s coast, China’s defence ministry said.

“This exercise aims to deepen the strategic cooperation level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats,” the ministry said.

The two sides will send naval fleets to “relevant sea areas of the Pacific Ocean” for a joint maritime patrol, and China will also participate in Russia’s “Ocean-2024” strategic exercise, it added.

The ministry did not give a specific date when the drills will take place.

In July, the two countries held joint drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province.

Those drills came the same week that NATO leaders warned China had “become a decisive enabler” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn the US-led military bloc against “provoking confrontation”.

Russia and China have ramped up military and economic cooperation in recent years, with both railing against “Western hegemony”, particularly what they see as US domination of global affairs.

They declared a “no limits” partnership shortly before Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s economic and trade links with China were “yielding results” as he met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Moscow.