Joint military drills near Poland heighten regional tensions
The Chinese army reported that joint military exercises by Belarus and China, which took place near Brest, Belarus, close to the Polish border, involved simulating the recapture of an airport. The maneuvers started on July 9 and lasted until Friday. They were part of "anti-terrorism activities."
Last week, the Chinese Ministry of Defence stated that these exercises are part of the "annual plan and the consensus reached by both countries."
Joint maneuvers near the Polish border
As part of these exercises, "joint actions in rescuing hostages and joint anti-terror operations," intended to improve training levels and interoperability of the participating troops, were planned.
A detailed report from the Brest training ground was published on Thursday by the Chinese Ministry of Defence. They praised the soldiers on social media for demonstrating "good technical and tactical skills, solid training levels, and a strong fighting spirit."
The simulation of an operation to take control of the airport from terrorists using drones, paratroopers, and ground forces took place on Wednesday. Chinese commander Wang Bo informed that both sides practised "encircling, controlling, and pursuing" their targets and refined reconnaissance and blockade tactics.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern last week about strengthening military cooperation between Beijing, Russia, and Belarus. These two countries are known for their aggression towards Ukraine. Poland "carefully observes the long-term cooperation between Beijing and Minsk as a factor potentially impacting Poland's security."
Joint patrols in the Pacific
The maneuvers near the Polish border coincided with the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. The summit conclusions stated that "the People's Republic of China has become a decisive factor supporting Russia's war against Ukraine through so-called 'borderless partnership' and large-scale support for the Russian defence industry base."
Simultaneously, while the exercises were taking place in Belarus, Chinese and Russian forces conducted joint maritime patrols in the Pacific and marine-air exercises Joint Sea-2024 off the coast of the southern province of Guangdong last week.
The navies of both countries were to conduct live ammunition training over three days. State media emphasized that at least ten Chinese and Russian warships might currently operate around Zhanjiang, working together in two joint formations.
