China avers military drills with Russia 'unrelated' to international situation amid war

China's Defence Ministry has stated that the nation’s People's Liberation Army will take part in the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise in Russia. Even though the exercises are set to take place amid war in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan, the ministry mentioned that the drills are 'unrelated' to the current international situation without specifying further. On Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement that the PLA will deploy some of its troops to Russia to participate in the Vostok (East)-2022 strategic exercise, as part of the annual China-Russia military cooperation plan and an agreement reached by the two countries, ANI reported.  

Further, the statement continues to read, “The Chinese military's participation in the exercise is unrelated to the current international and regional situation but designed to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the militaries of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic coordination and strengthen the ability to cope with various security threats"

Notably, the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise came at the time when the Russia-Ukraine war reached its 175th day. This drill will be conducted at 13 training facilities in the Eastern Military District under the direction of Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian General Staff, TASS reported. Between the period of August 30 and September 5, the drills are expected to take place. As per the Russian Defense Ministry, the participating soldiers will rehearse maintaining military security in the eastern area. 

Further, in the wake of the war, China in July charged the US with instigating the brutal Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a news conference that Washington was to blame for the horrific conflict and that it needed to stop acting as the "world police". 

Beijing has been a reliable buyer of Russian military hardware

In addition to this, China is considered to be one of Russia’s key partners. Russia's most important ally is China. Since the 1990s, Beijing has been a reliable buyer of Russian military hardware, accounting for 25 to 50% of all sales of Russian military hardware abroad, according to the Fox News report. While, Russian accusations that China has stolen intellectual property in the past have occasionally strained the relationship between the two nations, despite these disagreements, the two nations have grown closer and the joint military drills have persisted. 

In the meantime, the Chinese Defence Ministry also asserted that the drills will also include participation from India, Belarus, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and other nations. However, the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi have not yet responded to the presence of Indian soldiers during the Vostok-2022 military drills in Russia, PTI reported.  

It is also pertinent to note that India has participated in the Exercise ZAPAD 2021 drills in Russia last year, along with 17 other nations, including China and Pakistan.  

(Image: AP)