Kinshasa, July 5th, 2026 (CPA/Xinhua). – The Chinese Ministry in charge of Defence has announced on Sunday that the Chinese and Russian navies will hold the “Joint Sea-2026” naval exercise this month in the maritime and airspace near the port city of Qingdao, in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, Xinhua News Agency has reported.
“Following this exercise, the armed forces of both countries will conduct a joint maritime patrol in the relevant areas of the Pacific Ocean,” has indicated the Chinese Ministry in charge of Defence’s press release. According to the ministry, these manoeuvres form part of the annual cooperation plan between the armed forces of the two countries and aim to jointly address security challenges and safeguard regional peace and stability. According to the source, the participating Chinese forces include two destroyers, a frigate, a submarine, a supply ship and a rescue vessel.
The Ministry in charge of Defence has specified that the two navies will carry out, amongst other things, reconnaissance, air defence and anti-missile exercises, as well as surface strikes, noting that all participating naval forces are now assembled in Qingdao. For its part, the Russian Pacific Fleet has announced that the exercises will take place from July 6th to 13th in the Yellow Sea, the body of water separating China from the Korean Peninsula. The Russian fleet has indicated that the manoeuvres will include “joint rescue operations”, “anti-submarine warfare and air defence missions” and “joint artillery firing exercises”.
A Russian cruiser, a corvette, a diesel submarine and a rescue vessel have arrived at the port of Qingdao to take part in the manoeuvres, according to the source. During a ceremony in Qingdao, the Russian Rear Admiral Sergei Sinko has declared that the manoeuvres were aimed to ‘strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries’ and to ensure ‘peace and stability’ in the region. These joint exercises will take place approximately two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China. The Kremlin leader has then described the state of bilateral relations as “unprecedented”, whilst Chinese leader Xi Jinping has described it as “unshakable”. The “Joint Sea” manoeuvres between the two navies have been held since 2012. The 2025 edition took place near Vladivostok (in eastern Russia) and was also followed by joint patrols in the Pacific. CPA/