BEIJING, Aug. 8 -- China hopes that relevant parties will view the defense cooperation between China and Russia objectively and rationally, and stop spreading groundless speculation and smears, said a Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday.
It's reported that some countries kept dispatching aircraft and ships to the vicinity of Chinese and Russian naval task forces during Exercise Joint Sea 2025. Some analysts claim that this joint exercise was clearly targeted at the third parties.
When asked to comment on the relevant reports, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said that Exercise Joint Sea is an institutionalized cooperation program between the Chinese and Russian navies. Since its inception in 2012, the exercise has been held 10 times and has become a key platform for China-Russia military cooperation.
"Task forces from the two sides have completed planned subjects, including joint air defense, counter-sea and anti-submarine operations, and have transitioned to a joint maritime patrol," the spokesperson added.
He pointed out that China and Russia adhere to the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party in developing bilateral and military relations, and jointly play an important role in safeguarding international and regional peace and stability.