Newly released footage shows Russia and its quasi-ally China conducting a naval patrol in the Western Pacific as part of their military cooperation that challenges the United States.
Newsweek has emailed the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for further comment.
Why It Matters
Russia has maintained what President Vladimir Putin calls a partnership “without limitations” with China following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The two nations have deepened military ties, with over half of their 113 combined drills since 2003 taking place in the past six years, along with joint patrols in the Pacific involving strategic bombers and naval vessels.
The most recent Russia-China military activities—including Exercise Joint Sea 2025 and a maritime joint patrol—come after their mutual adversary, the United States, conducted large-scale air force war games in the Pacific in July. U.S. forces are also taking part in two ongoing drills in Alaska and the Arctic amid concerns over the growing Russian and Chinese presence in the region.
What To Know
The Chinese navy—which operates the world’s largest warship fleet by hull count—released footage of the joint patrol with its Russian counterpart on Wednesday. It announced that the naval maneuvers were successfully concluded at an undisclosed area in the Western Pacific.
During the 15-day joint patrol—which followed Exercise Joint Sea 2025, held from August 1 to 5 around Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East—the two navies conducted escort and air defense exercises, among others, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Photos released by the agency show Russian and Chinese sailors waving goodbye to each other as their vessels departed from the joint patrol during a fleet separation ceremony.
Details of the joint naval patrol remain unclear, including the routes taken. On August 12, the Russian Pacific Fleet reported that three vessels participating in the patrol docked in Avacha Bay on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 575 miles from the westernmost end of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
While Russian and Chinese naval vessels were underway, the U.S. sent a destroyer to waters around the Aleutian Islands as part of operations supporting “maritime homeland defense.”
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told China’s Global Times that the disclosure of the Kamchatka stopover indicated the patrol covered a long distance, which helped boost the training level of the Chinese navy as it expands its reach and presence across the Pacific.
What People Are Saying
Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, said on August 8: “China and Russia adhere to the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party in developing bilateral and military relations, and jointly play an important role in safeguarding international and regional peace and stability.”
Russia’s Pacific Fleet said on August 14: “The joint maritime patrol aims to strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China, maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, monitor marine waters and protect facilities of maritime economic activity of both countries.”
Japan’s defense white paper 2025 said: “China is further strengthening its cooperation with Russia, including in military activities. It has also conducted joint bomber flights and naval navigations with Russia in the vicinity of Japan. These repeated joint activities are clearly intended for demonstration of force against Japan and are a grave concern from the perspective of the national security of Japan.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Russian and Chinese militaries will conduct additional joint activities this year, including joint bomber patrols. Last summer, the two nations deployed their bombers off the coast of Alaska, prompting U.S. and Canadian fighter jets to intercept them.
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