China, Russia move closer to de facto military alliance amid US pressure

[Dark Sorrow]

Defense chiefs agree to expand cooperation through strategic exercises and joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific, says Russian ministry

China and Russia are edging closer to a de facto military alliance to counter growing pressure from the United States, with the Russian defence chief telling his Chinese counterpart that US aircraft activity near the country’s borders had increased.


In a video call on Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe agreed to expand cooperation through strategic exercises and joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific, including the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, according to Russia’s defence ministry.


Shoigu said there had been a “significant intensification” in activities by US strategic bombers near Russia’s borders. “Over the past month, about 30 sorties have been made to the borders of the Russian Federation, which is 2.5 times more than in the corresponding period last year,” he said.


That included this month’s Global Thunder exercise, which Shoigu claimed involved 10 US strategic bombers in a scenario of using nuclear weapons against Russia from the west and east, and that they came within 20km (12 miles) of the Russian border.


Shoigu noted that US air patrols near Russia’s eastern borders had increased, with a total of 22 strategic flights over the Sea of Okhotsk in 2020 – up from three the previous year – which he said posed a threat to both Russia and China.


“Against this background, Russian-Chinese coordination is becoming a stabilising factor in world affairs,” Shoigu said.


Chinese Defence Minister Wei told Shoigu that Russia had “successfully countered” the pressure and military threats from the US, according to Russian news agency Tass.


China had also “completely withstood the US pressure and deterrence”, Wei was quoted as saying.


In a brief statement, China’s defence ministry said the two sides would “continue to deepen strategic cooperation between the two militaries, continue to strengthen cooperation in strategic exercises, joint patrols and other areas, and continue to make new contributions to safeguarding the core interests of China and Russia and maintaining international and regional security and stability”.


The defence chiefs discussed joint naval patrols in the northwest Pacific and joint air patrols over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea during the call, and signed a road map for closer military cooperation over the next five years, Russia’s defence ministry said, without giving further details.


The talks came as China and Russia are steadily moving to deepen their military ties as part of efforts to counter pressure from the West.


Earlier on Tuesday, the People’s Liberation Army accused the US of “creating safety risks and jeopardising regional stability” after the USS Milius guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait. The US Seventh Fleet called it a “routine” transit to “demonstrate the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Meanwhile, tensions are mounting between Moscow and Washington after US intelligence officials warned European allies that Russia had deployed about 100,000 troops as well as artillery on its border with Ukraine and was weighing military measures in Ukraine, an allegation the Kremlin said was inflammatory.


Last month, five Chinese and five Russian warships made the first joint passage through the Tsugaru Strait in the Japanese archipelago after wrapping up their annual exercises near the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan.


And on Friday, Chinese and Russian air forces held their third joint air patrol, with both sending two bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. South Korea scrambled fighters in response, while Japan lodged a protest with Beijing and Moscow.


Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator, expected to see more such exercises between the two militaries in the Asia-Pacific – including the Sea of Japan and the East and South China seas. “China and Russia may also increase joint strategic cooperation, including on anti-missile and early-warning systems, as well as between different military services,” he said.

China, Russia move closer to de facto military alliance

China and Russia are edging closer to a de facto military alliance to counter growing pressure from the United States.

news.abs-cbn.com

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation

MOSCOW--Russia’s defense chief on Tuesday signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China, pointing to increasingly frequent U.S. strategic bomber flights near both countries’ borders.


During a video call, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe “expressed a shared interest in stepping up strategic military exercises and joint patrols by Russia and China,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry.


“China and Russia have been strategic partners for many years,” Shoigu said. “Today, in conditions of increasing geopolitical turbulence and growing conflict potential in various parts of the world, the development of our interaction is especially relevant.”


Shoigu pointed to increasingly intensive flights by the U.S. strategic bombers near Russian borders, saying that there were 30 such missions over the past month alone.


“This month, during the U.S. Global Thunder strategic force exercise, 10 strategic bombers practiced the scenario of using nuclear weapons against Russia practically simultaneously from the western and eastern directions,” Shoigu said, adding that they came as close as 20 kilometers to the Russian border.


He also noted a rise in the number of U.S. bomber flights over the Sea of Okhotsk where they practiced reaching the points for launching cruise missiles, saying that it poses a threat to both Russia and China.


“In such an environment, the Russian-Chinese coordination becomes a stabilizing factor in global affairs,” Shoigu said.


Wei praised Russia for successfully countering what he described as U.S. pressure and military threats.


Shoigu and Wei hailed a series of maneuvers that involved Russian and Chinese warplanes and naval ships, and signed a plan for military cooperation for 2021-2025.


On Friday, two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers and two Chinese H-6K strategic bombers flew a joint patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, prompting South Korea to scramble fighter jets.


The bomber patrol followed joint naval maneuvers by Russian and Chinese warships and aircraft in the Sea of Japan last month.


In August, Shoigu visited China to attend joint war games, which marked the first time that Russian troops had taken part in drills on Chinese territory.


They were the latest in a series of war games in recent years, intended to underline increasingly close military relations between Moscow and Beijing.


Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, have developed strong personal ties to bolster a “strategic partnership” between the former Communist rivals as they both faced tensions with the West.


Russia has sought to expand ties with China as its relations with the U.S. and its allies sank to post-Cold War lows over Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, accusations of Russian hacking attacks, interference in elections and other disputes.


Even though Russia and China in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin said last year that such a prospect can’t be ruled out. He also has noted that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

www.asahi.com

 

[Tshering22]

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation

MOSCOW--Russia’s defense chief on Tuesday signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China, pointing to increasingly frequent U.S. strategic bomber flights near both countries’ borders.


During a video call, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe “expressed a shared interest in stepping up strategic military exercises and joint patrols by Russia and China,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry.


“China and Russia have been strategic partners for many years,” Shoigu said. “Today, in conditions of increasing geopolitical turbulence and growing conflict potential in various parts of the world, the development of our interaction is especially relevant.”


Shoigu pointed to increasingly intensive flights by the U.S. strategic bombers near Russian borders, saying that there were 30 such missions over the past month alone.


“This month, during the U.S. Global Thunder strategic force exercise, 10 strategic bombers practiced the scenario of using nuclear weapons against Russia practically simultaneously from the western and eastern directions,” Shoigu said, adding that they came as close as 20 kilometers to the Russian border.


He also noted a rise in the number of U.S. bomber flights over the Sea of Okhotsk where they practiced reaching the points for launching cruise missiles, saying that it poses a threat to both Russia and China.


“In such an environment, the Russian-Chinese coordination becomes a stabilizing factor in global affairs,” Shoigu said.


Wei praised Russia for successfully countering what he described as U.S. pressure and military threats.


Shoigu and Wei hailed a series of maneuvers that involved Russian and Chinese warplanes and naval ships, and signed a plan for military cooperation for 2021-2025.


On Friday, two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers and two Chinese H-6K strategic bombers flew a joint patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, prompting South Korea to scramble fighter jets.


The bomber patrol followed joint naval maneuvers by Russian and Chinese warships and aircraft in the Sea of Japan last month.


In August, Shoigu visited China to attend joint war games, which marked the first time that Russian troops had taken part in drills on Chinese territory.


They were the latest in a series of war games in recent years, intended to underline increasingly close military relations between Moscow and Beijing.


Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, have developed strong personal ties to bolster a “strategic partnership” between the former Communist rivals as they both faced tensions with the West.


Russia has sought to expand ties with China as its relations with the U.S. and its allies sank to post-Cold War lows over Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, accusations of Russian hacking attacks, interference in elections and other disputes.

Even though Russia and China in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin said last year that such a prospect can’t be ruled out. He also has noted that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

www.asahi.com

Russia seems desperate. They also know that the CCP will betray them the moment they get an opening. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Considering that their biggest buyer of everything is China, Putin seems to be having no other option.

Basically, the stupid EU sanctions are fuelling the CCP's rise. all Russia sells for state revenue is oil, gas, coal, uranium and weapons. Chinese need all of these and they fit in together easily.

PM Modi tried to woo Putin into the Pacific grouping, but understood that the US won't relent. So we have no other choice but to delineate Russia from other forms of groupings.

Russia and India right now are like, "look, I know you got compulsions to join the other side. But when it comes to a showdown against each other, we will stay neutral".