Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek that the military maneuvers were part of annual cooperation to demonstrate the two sides' determination and capability to jointly address regional security challenges. Regarding the most recent, 10th joint air patrol conducted on December 9 near Japan, the Russian Defense Ministry previously said it was part of the Russia-China military cooperation plan for the year and denied that it was directed against third countries.
Why It Matters
Russia and China—the world's largest and third-largest nuclear powers in terms of warhead numbers—have forged a so-called "partnership without limits," with Moscow and Beijing closely cooperating in military matters, including joint patrols and war games, as part of efforts to counter the United States and its European and Asian allies.
