A contingent of Chinese military troops will be sent to Russia to take part in joint exercises, which will also involve other countries, including India, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan.
China’s Ministry of Defense said on August 17 that participation in joint exercises “is not related to the current situation in the region and the world.”
This stance has been seen as a reference to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The exercises are part of the “annual cooperation agreement”, the statement said. Similar military exercises between the two countries, which are led by Russia, have been held in the past.
“The aim is to deepen the pragmatic cooperation between the armies of the participating countries, to increase the level of strategic cooperation among the participating parties, and to deepen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the statement said among others.
China is among the countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia for the attack in Ukraine.