Chinese, Russian troops to drill together

China is sending troops to Russia to cooperate on joint military exercises that will include India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and other countries, the Chinese defense ministry said Wednesday. Last month, Russia announced joint drills would be held Aug. 30 through Sept. 5. Just before Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin and China announced a “no limits” friendship. Chinese officials said this was a continuation of that partnership and an annual cooperation agreement. They also said it is unrelated to any current geopolitical situation.

Has this happened before? In August 2021, the two countries did joint drills in China that involved more than 10,000 troops. Then in October, they held naval drills in the Sea of Japan, and their warships did patrols together in the western Pacific.

Dig deeper: Read Marc LiVecche’s column in WORLD Opinions on new missile technology that could make warfare more just.