Russia and China conduct joint missile defense drills
Photo: Russia and China held joint anti-missile exercises (Getty Images)
At the beginning of December, Russia and China conducted the third round of joint missile defense exercises on Russian territory, according to Reuters.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense stated that the exercises were not directed against any third party and were not a response to any current international events.
In 2022, Russia and China signed an agreement on an "unlimited" strategic partnership, committing to regularly hold military exercises to coordinate the actions of their armed forces.
Both countries reportedly expressed concern over US President Donald Trump’s plans to create the Golden Dome missile shield and his intentions to resume nuclear tests after more than 30 years.
Last month, Russia and China held talks on missile defense and strategic stability, and in August they conducted artillery and anti-submarine exercises in the Sea of Japan as part of their scheduled joint maneuvers.
Russia-China joint exercises
In August, following statements by US President Donald Trump regarding nuclear submarines, China and Russia launched joint demonstration exercises.
The maneuvers, named Joint Sea-2025, aim to strengthen the defense partnership between Russia and China and assert their military presence amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The exercises involved ships from both countries, including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers. Diesel-electric submarines from both sides and a Chinese submarine rescue vessel were also deployed.
The exercise program included a wide range of combat tasks, from submarine rescue operations and countering underwater threats to air and missile defense and simulated naval battles.
In the Sea of Japan, ships from both countries practiced combat coordination, including artillery firing, anti-submarine operations, air defense tasks, and joint search-and-rescue operations at sea.
