China, Russia plan joint military drills in SCS

Chinese ships have challenged vessels from the United States, the Philippines and other nations in disputed waters, and China considers the tribunal’s ruling earlier this month to be invalid

BEIJING—China’s military said on Thursday it will hold joint exercises with Russian forces in the South China Sea (SCS), following a recent arbitration ruling that rejected Beijing’s claim to almost the entire strategic body of water.

The air and sea drills will be held sometime in September and were aimed at deepening relations between the two militaries and boosting their capacity to respond to maritime threats, ministry spokesman Col. Yang Yujun said at a monthly news briefing.

Yang said the exercises weren’t targeted at any third parties.

He didn’t disclose the specific location, and some areas of the SCS are not disputed.

Chinese ships have challenged vessels from the United States, the Philippines and other nations in disputed waters, and China considers the tribu- nal’s ruling earlier this month to be invalid.

Russia and China have held numerous joint drills in recent years, united in a desire to stem American power in the Asia-Pacific region, despite their own lingering mistrust over territory and influence in Central Asia.

Russia has also spoken in support of China’s rejection of the move by the Philippines to bring the SCS case before the international arbitration body in the Hague, the Netherlands, and argued that countries without a direct claim to territory should stay impartial, in a reference to the US, which has called on China to accept the ruling as binding.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby urged China to be transparent about its military capabilities and intentions.

He said military exercises by China and Russia should comply with international law.

“There’s no need for it to raise tensions. Exercises and operations are meant to hone capabilities,” Kirby told reporters in Washington.

“It really depends on the way it is conducted. Our expectation is that these exercises and operations, like ours, will be conducted in accordance with international obligations and the law.”