China and Russia conducted joint military drills in 2022 on a larger scale than they did two decades ago, according to a Bloomberg report on July 15, raising concerns about a potential escalation of tensions.
The two countries held six joint military drills last year, the highest number tracked in the past 20 years, Bloomberg reported, citing data during that time frame from the U.S. National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs.
The number represented two-thirds of China’s total military drills with foreign armed forces in 2022, mostly taking place after Russia launched a full-fledged war on Ukraine.
Two of these joint drills involved the armed forces of Syria and Iran, according to the report.
On July 16, China’s Defense Ministry stated that a Chinese naval flotilla made up of five warships and four ship-borne helicopters departed to join Russian naval and air forces in the Sea of Japan for military drills.
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