China And Russia Conduct Joint Military Drills In South China Sea

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Russian Navy wrapped up joint military training drills in the South China Sea last week following a separate joint naval patrol conducted in the North Pacific. Both countries deployed three vessels each for live-fire training, reconnaissance and early warning, search and rescue, and air defence, according to the P.L.A. Navy. This has come in the wake of the strengthening of military and economic ties between the two countries in recent years which has alarmed many on the international stage in light of the Russia-Ukraine war, with NATO allies recently condemning Beijing as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

According to the Straits Times, Russia and China declared a “no-limits” partnership in 2022, just a few days before Russia launched its attack on Ukraine which has increased trade between the two countries to a record $240 billion in 2023. 

Mr. Wang Guangzheng of the P.L.A. Navy’s Southern Theatre stated for Chinese state broadcaster C.C.T.V.: “The China-Russia joint patrol has promoted the deepening and practical cooperation between the two in multiple directions.”

These military drills are signifiers of aggression and growing pressure in the South China Sea which has been a long contested area between the U.S. and China. The performance of military drills has been used as a tactic for intimidating surrounding countries or a show of military power by whomever is conducting the drills. These activities often encourage the escalation of tensions between countries by promoting the use of force and aggression rather than international cooperation.

The South China Sea is a strategically significant area for the U.S., lying between Taiwan and the Philippines which are both territories that have strong U.S. ties. China’s territorial claim and its ongoing threats of aggression towards Taiwan have also made the South China Sea an area of apprehension for the U.S. Additionally, calls from NATO to end the Russia-Ukraine war have largely been directed towards China whom they have been accusing of enabling the war by supplying military equipment and strengthening economic ties after many countries have cut their own military ties with Russia.

Practicing military exercises may seem to be a temporary and more symbolic show of military power, however, in a highly contested area, these drills can escalate tensions greatly rather than promote communication between nations. The performance of these military drills has connoted aggression in the relationship between China and Russia, which is now gaining recognition as a second Sino-Soviet bloc. Returning to the rhetoric used during the Cold War is regressive to the efforts made to globalize international cooperation and serves to impose a black-and-white perspective on international relations.

Related