China, Russia Wrap Up Live-Fire Drills in South China Sea

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

China is denying that its just-completed live-fire joint exercise with Russia in the South China Sea had anything to do with recent tensions with the Philippines, or was meant to send any kind of message.

Ships from the two navies conducted six days of drills off China’s Guangdong province, ranging from air and missile defense to anti-submarine warfare to reconnaissance and early warning. In the so-called harbor phase of the exercise, there were table wargames and ship visits by sailors and officers.

Beijing said the maneuvers were aimed at dealing with “maritime security threats.” More to the point, the Chinese Communist Party’s English-language newspaper, the Global Times, quoted experts who refuted unnamed claims from the West linking the drills to clashes with the Philippines, the Russia-Ukraine war and confronting NATO.

According to the paper, “They stressed that unlike the US that aims to maintain its global military hegemony, the China-Russia military cooperation provides stabilizing factors to the deteriorating global and regional security.” The experts also said that while the drills were combat-oriented, they did not designate a specific third party as a target.

Among the vessels taking part: the Russian corvettes Rezkiy and Gromkiy and the Chinese destroyer Nanning, the frigate Hengshui and a supply ship. There were an estimated 30 training sessions, which included live-firing at aerial, maritime and coastal targets.

On Wednesday, the People’s Liberation Army reported, three of the ships had to intercept high-speed anti-ship missiles simulated by target aircraft. One Chinese ship launched a ship-to-air missile during that drill, while a Russian ship fired multiple rounds from one of its guns.