MOSCOW — The Kremlin said on July 6 that joint naval exercises between Russia and China off the Chinese city of Qingdao were not aimed at any other country and would help strengthen regional security. The annual drills run from July 6 to July 13 in waters and airspace near Qingdao, with Russia sending a cruiser, a corvette, a diesel-electric submarine and a rescue vessel from its Pacific Fleet, according to Russian state media.
At the opening ceremony, Rear Admiral Sergei Sinko said the exercises would take naval cooperation between Moscow and Beijing to a new level, while stressing that they were defensive in nature. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills were “not directed against anyone” and that cooperation between the two countries in such a critical area was an important factor for predictability and security in the region.
He added that no single state should view the exercises as a threat, underscoring Moscow’s position that the manoeuvres are part of routine defence cooperation.