China, Russia begin 'Joint Sea-2026' drills off Qingdao
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- China and Russia announced on July 5, 2026, that their annual "Joint Sea-2026" naval exercises will begin July 6 off China's coast, with the Russian Pacific Fleet stating drills will run July 6–13 in the Yellow Sea.
- The Chinese defense ministry said two destroyers, a frigate, a submarine, a supply ship and a rescue vessel will participate from China's side, while Russia deployed one cruiser, a corvette, a diesel submarine and a rescue vessel to Qingdao port.
- The exercises will cover reconnaissance, air and missile defense, surface strikes, anti-submarine warfare, air defense missions, artillery exercises and joint rescue operations, per Chinese and Russian military statements.
- Following the drills, forces from both sides will conduct a joint maritime patrol in "relevant areas of the Pacific Ocean," according to the Chinese defense ministry, which did not specify where.
- Russian Rear Admiral Sergei Sinko said at a Qingdao ceremony that "Joint Sea-2026" was aimed at "strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries" and ensuring "peace and stability" in the region, per TASS.
- The exercises come roughly two months after Putin's visit to China, where Putin called relations "unprecedentedly high" and Xi Jinping hailed an "unyielding" partnership.
- Beijing has never condemned Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, calling itself neutral, though the U.S. and other Western allies believe China has provided support to Moscow's war effort.
Why it matters: The drills are the latest demonstration of deepening China-Russia military cooperation, staged in the Yellow Sea and extending into a follow-on Pacific patrol just two months after Putin's May 2026 visit to Beijing. China continues to frame itself as neutral on Ukraine while running annual war games with Moscow, reinforcing Western suspicions that Beijing materially backs Russia's war effort.
