China, Russia conclude drills as US, South Korea, Japan deepen security ties

China and Russia on Sunday wrapped up an air and naval exercise in the Sea of Japan aimed at “safeguarding” the security of waterways, the Chinese defence ministry said.
The show of solidarity between the militaries comes at a time when the United States is beefing up ties with Japan and South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is looking to deepen its presence in the region, to the anger of China and Russia.
More than 10 warships and over 30 warplanes from both sides took part in the four-day “Northern/Interaction-2023” exercise as Chinese and Russian navies and air forces jointly planned and commanded naval and aerial escorts, deterrence and repelling exercises.