Joint Maneuvers in the Yellow Sea
In July of this year, China and Russia will conduct large-scale joint naval exercises named "Maritime Interaction-2026". The event will take place in the waters of the Yellow Sea, as well as in the adjacent airspace near the city of Qingdao. This was officially announced by the press service of the Ministry of National Defense of the PRC.
According to the plan, after the completion of tactical maneuvers, the ships of the two countries will depart for joint patrols in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Beijing emphasized that such events are part of the annual military cooperation plan between the two states.
Objectives and Tasks of the Exercises
Chinese military authorities stated that the conduct of the exercises is aimed at "responding to security challenges and promoting the maintenance of regional peace and stability". At the same time, the press release does not specify exactly how many ships and aircraft will be involved in the operation, nor are the exact dates of the start and end of the maneuvers named.
Context of Bilateral Cooperation
Official exercises against the backdrop of continuing reports of covert military interaction between the two countries are attracting close attention from Western observers. Previously, the media reported that Russia and China secretly conducted joint training related to the conflict in Ukraine, in which generals from both countries participated.
In particular, the Reuters agency published information in the spring of this year that China secretly trained about 200 Russian servicemen on its territory at the end of 2025. According to sources, some of them subsequently returned to the front. These data were confirmed by representatives of the EU and NATO.
Reaction of Officials
Despite the revelations by Western intelligence, official representatives of Beijing and Moscow continue to deny such accusations. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov previously called information about the secret training of Russian military personnel in China unreliable. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also refuted these data, calling them an attempt to shift the blame for the war in Ukraine onto third countries.
