Beijing and Moscow vow to deepen military ties for the ‘maintenance of world security’

Beijing and Moscow have vowed to deepen their military ties for “maintaining world security” in the latest sign of a growing bond between China and Russia.

The warning to the west came as a US warship sailed through the sea separating Taiwan and mainland China amid escalating tensions in the region, and after Beijing staged war games around the self-governed island.

Meanwhile, it was reported over the weekend that leaked US documents showed China was likely to establish air superiority over Taiwan very soon, raising uncomfortable questions about the island’s ability to defend itself against a potential invasion.

The classified documents – accessed by the Washington Post – show that Taiwan’s military leaders doubt their air defense systems can “accurately detect missile launches” and that only about half of the island’s military aircraft would be able to make effective contact. with Chinese opponents.

China’s defense minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Sunday, where he announced a “new era” of relations between Russia and China.

“We have very strong ties. They surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War era… They are very stable,” he said in translated remarks broadcast on Russian TV.

“This is my first foreign visit since taking over as Chinese defense minister. I specifically chose Russia for this to emphasize the special nature and strategic importance of our bilateral ties,” Li said.

Li also said China was willing to work with Russia to “further strengthen strategic communications between the two armies,” according to a reading of the meeting published by China’s defense ministry.

At the meeting, which was also attended by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin welcomed military cooperation between Russia and China.

“We also actively work through the military departments, regularly exchange useful information, cooperate in military-technical cooperation, conduct joint exercises,” Putin said.

“This is undoubtedly another important area that reinforces the trust-based, strategic nature of our relationships,” he added.

Li’s trip to Russia – which will last until April 19 – comes weeks after an official visit to Moscow by Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month, and when top G7 diplomats arrived in the Japanese resort of Karuizawa on Sunday for talks.

During two days of talks between Putin and Xi, the pair hailed a “new era” in their relationship and discussed Beijing’s proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Moscow and Beijing have stepped up their cooperation in recent years, both driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance. Their partnership has only grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine last February.

China has tried to portray itself as a neutral side in the conflict in Ukraine – which began when Putin ordered an invasion of the country in February 2022 – and has worked to position itself as a potential media outlet in the conflict.

However, the West has questioned China’s true motive, and Washington has accused Beijing of considering arms exports to Moscow – claims China has denied.

Last week, leaked documents from the Pentagon appeared to show that US intelligence had learned that China had authorized the shipment of weapons to Russia.

A senior official in Kiev said on Friday that Ukrainian troops in the country are finding a growing number of Chinese-made parts in Russian weapons.

Publicly, both NATO and the US have said they have seen no signs that China has approved the delivery of lethal aid to Moscow’s troops.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (center) meet with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu (left) at the Moscow Kremlin on April 16

China’s increasing pressure on Taiwan and Russia’s war in Ukraine were the two issues that would dominate G7 talks in Japan.

Foreign ministers arrived on a special bullet train for talks that will set the stage for a leadership summit in Hiroshima next month.

There is no shortage of challenges to discuss, but recent regional events are likely to sharpen the focus on Asia.

The meeting and Li’s visit to Moscow followed a series of large-scale exercises by the Chinese military simulating a blockade of Taiwan.

On April 8, three days of military exercises were launched in response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s recent visit to the United States, where she met Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Beijing is stunned by any official contact between Taipei and foreign governments.

On the last day of last week’s exercises, Taiwan’s defense ministry said 54 Chinese aircraft had entered Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) – the highest number recorded in a single day since October 2021.

That same day, the USS Milius sailed through waters claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea. That deployment led to condemnation from China, which said the ship had “illegally” entered its territorial waters.

That deployment led to condemnation from China, which said the ship had “illegally” entered its territorial waters.

The same warship sailed across Taiwan on Monday.

Under the leadership of the United States, multiple Western navies regularly conduct “freedom of navigation” operations to assert the international status of regional waterways such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

The USS Milius guided-missile destroyer “performed a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on April 16 (local time) through waters where freedom of navigation and overflight on the high seas applies in accordance with international law,” the statement said. US Navy in a statement.

“The ship was passing through a corridor in the Strait that lies outside the territorial sea of ​​a coastal state.”

This was the first such US waterway operation since January.

The U.S. 7th Fleet shared footage on Twitter on Monday of crew members looking out into the strait, one of the most critical waterways in the world for international shipping.

China said Monday it had tracked a US warship through the Taiwan Strait, adding that the United States had “hyped” the transit.

Colonel Shi Yi, a Chinese military spokesman, said troops in the area “remain on high alert at all times and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability.”

China also approved the organizations involved in Tsai’s visit to the US, including the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which hosted her meeting with McCarthy and other congressmen.

It also later sanctioned U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, the Texan Republican who chairs the chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, from visiting Taiwan.

On Sunday, China launched a rocket carrying a satellite that dropped debris into the waters north of the capital Taipei. Although the satellite’s launch had no apparent military purpose, it disrupted travel and delayed flights.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day bring the island under its control. It also claims the entire Taiwan Strait as its territorial waters.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Monday that the military had “closely monitored the dynamics in our surrounding sea and airspace and that the situation was normal” during the ship’s transit.

Chinese warships and planes have continued to circle around Taiwan since the end of the war games, the country’s government said.

On Monday, Taipei’s defense ministry said it had detected four warships and 18 aircraft, four of which had passed the southwestern ADIZ.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon sailed through the Taiwan Strait on January 5, months after McCarthy’s predecessor Nancy Pelosi visited the island.

US troops participate in weapons training during the US-Philippines ‘Balikatan’ joint military exercises at Fort Magsaysay on April 13, 2023 in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Pelosi’s journey led to China’s largest-ever war games in Taiwan.

The United States is conducting its own war games with its ally the Philippines in the region.

The Balikatan exercises in the Philippines are seen as a show of strength in areas under dispute in the South China Sea.

Nearly 18,000 troops take part in the live ship sinking fire exercises, missile strikes and beach strikes to simulate island recapture.