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Russian and Chinese naval vessels were tracked sailing near Japan—a key U.S. ally—while conducting a joint patrol after a bilateral drill.
Separately on Friday, China stated its military ties with Russia were not aimed at “any third party” and urged relevant parties to view the cooperation objectively and rationally. Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Russia and China—both major rivals of the U.S.—have formed a quasi-alliance, describing their ties as an “unlimited partnership.” They have gradually expanded their military cooperation, having organized 113 joint war games since 2003 under the U.S. containment strategy in the western Pacific.
Japan forms part of an island chain alongside Taiwan and the Philippines to keep adversaries at bay. Tokyo frequently reports movements of Russian and Chinese forces near its territory.
What To Know
Japan’s Defense Ministry said two Chinese vessels and a Russian warship transited the Soya Strait on an eastbound voyage, heading into the Sea of Okhotsk from the Sea of Japan on Friday. The waterway lies between the Russian island of Sakhalin to the north and the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the south.
The patrol followed the conclusion of the Russia-China Joint Sea 2025 war game near Vladivostok, which included joint air defense, counter-sea, and anti-submarine operations. The primary objectives of the patrol include “maintaining peace and stability” in the Asia-Pacific region, conducting maritime surveillance, and protecting the “economic assets” of both countries.
The Chinese ships were identified by their hull numbers as the destroyer CNS Shaoxing and supply ship CNS Qiandaohu, while the Russian ship was the destroyer Admiral Tributs. The Russian Pacific Fleet confirmed that the ships took part in a “coordinated patrol.”
During a news briefing on Friday, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, urged relevant parties to stop spreading what he described as “groundless speculation and smears” about defense cooperation between China and Russia.
What People Are Saying
Jiang Bin said at the news briefing: “Exercise Joint Sea is an institutionalized cooperation program between the Chinese and Russian navies. Since its inception in 2012, the exercise has been held 10 times and has become a key platform for China-Russia military cooperation.”
A 2025 Japanese defense white paper said: “China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and the Pacific. Russia has also been observed engaging in joint activities with China involving aircraft and vessels.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how far the Russian and Chinese naval vessels will operate during their joint patrol. Japan is expected to report further movements of the flotilla in the coming days.
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What was the main purpose of the Russian and Chinese naval vessels conducting a joint patrol near Japan after their bilateral drill?
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