China and Russia on Sunday began joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, in Guangdong province, southern China.

The training began a few days after the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., where allies called Beijing a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense has informed that the forces of both sides have been patrolling the western and northern Pacific Ocean, and that the operation is unrelated to the international and regional situation and is not aimed at a third party.

According to official Beijing, the exercises will last until mid-July, but the government did not specify exact dates.

At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry reports that the military exercises will take place on July 15-17.

The number of ships, troops, or weapons involved in the maneuvers is not reported.

The Chinese media only reported that the drills will include missile defense, air defense, and sea strike training, and are intended to demonstrate the capabilities of both navies in dealing with security threats to global and regional stability.

In the final statement of the summit last week, NATO countries noted that China is becoming the center of the military alliance.

China has become a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” the alliance stated.

In response, China accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and urged the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to the Asian region.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that its position on the war in Ukraine is fair and objective.

In January 2024, the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China conducted exercises using YJ-62 anti-ship missiles that cover almost the entire Yellow Sea.