Lead
Russia and China have begun the Joint Sea 2026 naval exercises in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, with the drills focusing on submarine rescue and other maritime operations. The exercises, which started on July 6, underscore deepening military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow since the annual drills first launched in 2012, as reported by the South China Morning Post.Coverage Comparison
The South China Morning Post highlighted that the exercises coincided with Beijing's launch of a ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific Ocean on the same day, a rare public acknowledgement that analysts said showed the operational progress of China's sea-based nuclear deterrent. The report also emphasized the element of submarine rescue, noting that Beijing said it hoped to learn operational experience from its strategic partner amid intensified competition beneath the seas.TASS, the Russian state news agency, provided extensive coverage of the exercises, with multiple reports detailing the start, shore-based phase, maritime phase, and conclusion of the drills. TASS emphasized the defensive nature of the exercises, quoting Russian exercise commander Rear Admiral Sergey Sinko, who stressed that the drills are defensive in nature and not directed against any third country. The agency also quoted Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Jiang Bin, who said that cooperation between the Armed Forces of China and Russia is always centered on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-direction against third countries.
Key Claims
- The Joint Sea 2026 exercises were held in the Yellow Sea from July 6 to 13, involving Russian and Chinese naval forces, as reported by TASS and the South China Morning Post.
- The exercises included submarine operations, with both navies deploying diesel-electric submarines. Chinese military expert Wang Yunfei, quoted by the Global Times (as reported by TASS), said the participation of submarines reflected an extremely high level of mutual trust, noting that submarines operating together is rare worldwide.
- The drills included joint search-and-rescue operations, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, and joint artillery firing exercises. One stage involved training to rescue the crew of a simulated distressed submarine using a deep-submergence rescue vehicle, as reported by TASS.
- The Russian and Chinese navies conducted live-fire exercises during the maritime phase, repelling a simulated attack by unmanned systems, including aerial drones and uncrewed surface vessels, according to the Russian Pacific Fleet's press service as reported by TASS.
- Following the conclusion of the exercises, some ships set sail for the Yellow Sea, where a joint Russian-Chinese detachment was established and began patrolling the waters of the Asia-Pacific region, as reported by TASS.
- The Russian fleet featured the cruiser Varyag, corvette Rezky, diesel-electric submarine Ufa, and rescue vessel Igor Belousov. The Chinese fleet included the destroyers Anshan and Kaifeng, frigate Wuhu, a Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine, the replenishment ship Kekesilihu, and rescue vessel Yanchenghu, according to TASS.
- During the shore-based phase, ship commanders and staff officers used maps to plan the naval phase, and cultural and sporting events, including friendly basketball matches, were held, as reported by TASS.