China to participate in joint military exercises with Russia

Beijing: Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in joint military exercises led by the host, including India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and other countries, China's defence ministry said on Wednesday Aug 17 China's participation in the joint exercises was unrelated to the current international and regional situation, the ministry said in a statement.

Last month, Moscow announced plans to hold Vostok East exercises from Aug 30 to Sep 5, even as it wages a costly war in Ukraine. It said at the time that some foreign forces would participate, without naming them.

China's defence ministry said it participated in the exercises as part of an ongoing bilateral annual cooperation agreement with Russia.

The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, to improve the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and to strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats, the statement said.