Chinese troops join Belarus for drills near Poland amid NATO tensions
7 July 2024 07:31
Chinese soldiers have arrived in Belarus to join the local army in anti-terrorism exercises. According to Minsk, this is part of building a "military alliance block," which is supposed to respond to NATO's alleged aggressive actions. The exercises are being organized near the Polish border.
Exercises involving soldiers from China and Belarus will last from July 8 to 19 and will be conducted near the Polish border.
These joint manoeuvres are, according to the Belarusian defence ministry, “an opportunity to exchange experiences and coordinate military units.”
Many pieces of information provided by Russian and Belarusian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war the Russian Federation and Belarus waged.
Chinese army right near the Polish border
“The joint training aims to facilitate the exchange of experience, coordinate Belarusian and Chinese units, and lay the foundation for further development of Belarusian-Chinese relations in the field of joint military training,” reads the Belarusian defence ministry.
The manoeuvres are to take place in the Brest region bordering Poland. Chinese units will be stationed in temporary bases likely to be located several tens of kilometres from the border with our country.
According to analysts, Chinese planes have already landed at the military airfield in Baranovichi in the Brest region.
Belarusian MoD on the threat from NATO
As Belarusian state media propagandistically claim, exercises involving soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army are another element in "building a military alliance block." According to Minsk’s deceitful narrative, this is intended to respond to NATO's alleged potential aggressive actions.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus Vladimir Kupriyanuk stated that the North Atlantic Alliance "is constantly increasing its presence" on the western side of the border. According to Minsk's propaganda, this should be seen as an increasing threat of military conflict, hence the need to prepare for various scenarios.
