China looks to hold regular drills with Russian Navy

China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu said he hopes for regular joint exercises and patrols by the Russian and the Chinese navies, Reuters reported on July 3.

Meeting with Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov in Beijing, the minister also advocated for stronger communications at all levels between Moscow and Beijing.

The naval forces of China and Russia held several joint naval drills during Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, including in the Gulf of Oman in March, in South African waters in February, or in the East China Sea in December last year.

Both countries have been building closer political, economic, and military ties over the years, declaring "no limits friendship" only weeks before Russia's invasion.

Multiple U.S. officials have publicly stated over the past month that China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia, which Beijing later denied.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said there would be "real costs" for China if the country makes such a decision.

Explainer: China’s increasing role in Russia’s war against Ukraine

Just days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, China’s leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “friendship without limits,” agreeing there would be no “forbidden areas of cooperation.” Unsurprisingly then, Beijing did not condemn Russia’s all-out w…

The Kyiv IndependentThaisa Semenova