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North European and North Atlantic Defense: The Challenges Return

[The author would like to thank Karolina Lovejoy for her research assistance with this article.]

Russian-Chinese Naval Reach Expands in Joint Baltic Sea Operation

2017-08-24 By Richard Weitz

Although Sino-U.S. military ties have showed surprising residence in the phase of numerous China-U.S. security
differences, they lag considerably behind Beijing’s defense relations with Moscow.

During the last week of July, the Chinese and Russian navies conducted a week of joint drills in the Baltic Sea,
representing the first stage of their planned two-phased bilateral maritime exercise for 2017.

These drills, held from July 21-28, are part of a comprehensive joint program to deepen Sino-Russian defense
cooperation.

The July 2017 exercise in the Baltics was the latest iteration of a series of drills termed “Joint Sea” by the
Chinese and “Naval Interaction” by the Russians.

The second phase will take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk in mid-September.

Following an opening ceremony and land-based planning phase, the active stage of the July Baltic exercise
included a drill in which the dozen ships (three Chinese) formed two tactical groups, consisting of mixed
Chinese and Russian detachments, which simulated offensive and defensive operations included ship-to-sea
gunnery, maritime search and rescue, liberating vessels seized by pirates, joint air and anti-submarine
defense, and underway cargo replenishment.
The Russian Defense Ministry stressed how these joint drills contribute to furthering the Sino-Russian defense
relationship and improving binational naval interoperability.

The Chinese side held the same perspective. Wang Xiaoyong, deputy captain of a participating PLAN
destroyer detachment, concurred that an operational objective of the exercise was “enhancing coordination
and tacit understanding between commanders of the two countries."

Russian analysts also emphasized the defense and deterrence value of drills.

Konstantin Sivkov, director of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems, said that the participation of
Chinese warships at such distance exhibited a historic level of cooperation with Moscow on maritime issues.

In his view, “China is demonstrating to the world that in the event of conflict, it will conduct military operations
on Russia's side as its ally."

Russian political commentator Alexander Khrolenko likewise commented that the exercises “demonstrate the
significant potential for cooperation between the two countries in the area of defense, and will be sure to cool
the hot heads of admirals and generals in Brussels and Washington."

The Russian ambassador to China, Andrei Denisov, said that “the degree of cooperation in the military sphere
is a reflection of the degree of political affinity and trust” between Moscow and Beijing. "If we see the same
threats facing us and have a similar assessment of those threats,” he added, “it will be natural to attempt to
compare our respective methods to counter those threats."

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