China will reportedly take part in joint military exercises with Russia amid the latter country’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
The Chinese defense ministry announced on Wednesday that its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is teaming up with Russian armed forces in Russia’s far east.
“According to the annual plan of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and the agreements of the parties, the PLA will soon allocate and send part of the forces to Russia to participate in the Vostok-2022 exercises,” they said in a statement.
The Vostok exercises will involve “13 training grounds of the Eastern Military District, they will also be attended by the troops of airborne forces, long-range and military transport aviation, as well as foreign military,” according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Strategic intelligence expert Rebekah Koffler told Fox News, “Although this military exercise is part of the annual bilateral Russia-China training cycle, the fact that Putin has decided to stick to the schedule even as his forces are in the middle of an active conflict in Ukraine is notable.”
The drills come in light of a possible Chinese action against Taiwan, which was further fueled following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island nation earlier this month.
After leaving Taiwan, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson announced sanctions against Pelosi and her family, calling her visit to the country an “egregious provocation” and a “gross interference” into their internal affairs.
“In disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting China’s Taiwan region. This constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs,” they said. “It gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The last Vostok military exercises took place in 2018 and were joined by Mongolia and China, making it the first time countries outside the former Soviet bloc participated. Nearly 300,000 troops took part, the largest since the days of the Soviet Union.
The exercises are expected to take place between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5, with other countries such as India, Belarus, and Tajikistan joining, as well.
