BEIJING (Dispatches) - Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday the country’s People’s Liberation Army will participate in the strategic command and staff exercise Vostok-2022 in Russia on August 30 - September 5.
“In accordance with the annual plan for cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and the bilateral agreements the PLA will soon delegate and send part of its forces to Russia for participation in the Vostok-2022 exercise,” the statement reads.
The exercise will contribute to “friendly cooperation among the armed forces of all countries, as well as to increasing the level of strategic interaction by all parties and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats”, it added.
“They are in no way related to the current international and regional situation,” the Chinese Defense Ministry said.
The Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise will be held under the command of the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds of the Eastern Military District.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated earlier, during the drills the participating forces would practice measures to maintain military security in the Eastern region.

China Begins 3-Day Military Drills in Yellow Sea

Amid tensions in Taiwan Strait due to back-to-back trips by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan, China began three-day military drills in the Yellow Sea.
Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA) said the entry of non-military vessels has been banned to the areas where the drills will be conducted. Military exercises began around 8.30 am (0030GMT) on Wednesday and will last till 5 pm (0900GMT) on Friday, Chinese daily Global Times reported.
The Chinese military has held massive exercises since early this month soon after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid an unannounced visit to Taiwan which Beijing views as its “breakaway province”.
Beijing condemned the trip, sanctioned Pelosi and her family, and downgraded military dialogue with the US besides taking five other “countermeasures”.
However, this Sunday, 12 days after Pelosi’s trip, another delegation of US lawmakers landed in Taipei where they held the security and supply chain dialogue with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Land, naval, and air force brigades of the People’s Liberation Army held unprecedented drills, holding live-fire exercises with ballistic missiles flying over the self-ruled island and falling into waters, claimed by Japan as its exclusive economic zones. Beijing denies the two countries have demarcated their maritime boundaries.
The PLA said its Southern Theater Command naval base dispatched a fleet to the South China Sea and conducted four-day long air and anti-missile military exercises, including intercepting missiles and destroying offshore targets.
Beijing has warned the U.S. will “exploit” the situation in Taiwan Strait and increase its military deployment in the region, following Pelosi’s trip.