China warships arrive in Baltic for joint drills with Russia
Three Chinese warships are in Russia's major Baltic Fleet base in the western seaport town of Baltiysk to participate in China's first joint naval drills with Russia in the region.
A welcoming ceremony for the Chinese Navy ships was held off Kaliningrad on Friday.
The destroyer Hefei, which is a new Type 052D armed with missiles that was commissioned in December 2015, as well as frigate and supply ships represent China in the drills.
Russia will use two new corvettes, some other ships and military aircraft in the exercises. Anti-submarine, anti-ship and rescue drills are planned.
The active phase of the maneuvers will be held between July 24 and 27.
The Chinese and Russian navies have been staging their Joint Sea maneuvers since 2012, but it is the first time the two sides are conducting them in the Baltic, closely watched by NATO.
NATO has been deploying weapons and equipment in the Baltic States, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, to curb what it refers to as “Russia’s aggression.”
NATO’s deployment to the Baltic states and Poland has been sharply criticized by Russia.
The US-led alliance’s expansion sped up after the two sides cut ties in 2014, when the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea peninsula of Crimea rejoined Russia in a referendum.
An article in China's People's Daily described the joint training as "a regular activity," saying it "is not aimed at any third party or current situations."
The article added that the exercises aim to develop the Chinese-Russian "comprehensive strategic partnership."
"China's use of the North Sea area is lawful and reasonable. NATO probably feels defensive in the face of the joint maneuvers and certainly wishes China-Russia co-operation weakened," an unnamed "observer" was cited in the article.
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