Chinese and Russian naval forces have begun a joint exercise at a military port in southern China, days after Nato allies called Beijing a “decisive enabler” of the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese defence ministry said forces from both sides recently patrolled the western and northern Pacific Ocean, and that the operation had nothing to do with international and regional situations.

The drills were not targeted at any third party, ministers added.

The exercise, which began in Guangdong province on Sunday and is expected to last through mid-July, aims to demonstrate the capabilities of the navies in addressing security threats and preserving peace and stability globally and regionally, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Naval officer with a firearm
The event comes days after Nato allies called Beijing a ‘decisive enabler’ of the war in Ukraine (Russian defence ministry via AP)

The activities would include anti-missile exercises, sea strikes and air defence.

Xinhua News Agency reported the Chinese and Russian naval forces carried out on-map military simulation and tactical coordination exercises after the opening ceremony in the city of Zhanjiang.

The joint drills came on the heels of China’s latest tensions with Nato allies last week.

The sternly-worded final communique, approved by the 32 Nato members at their summit in Washington, made clear that China is becoming a focus of the military alliance, calling Beijing a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The European and North American members and their partners in the Indo-Pacific increasingly see shared security concerns coming from Russia and its Asian supporters, especially China.

In response, China accused Nato of seeking security at the expense of others and told the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia.

Russian military sailors attend a welcome ceremony of their joint naval forces exercise at a port in Zhanjiang
The drills began on Sunday (Russian defence ministry via AP)

Beijing’s foreign ministry maintained that China has a fair and objective stance on the war in Ukraine.

Last week, a US coast guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea also came across several Chinese military ships in international waters but within the US exclusive economic zone, American officials said.

Its crew detected three vessels approximately 124 miles north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, which mark a separation and linkage between the North Pacific and the Bering Sea.

Later, a fourth ship was spotted approximately 84 miles north of the Amukta Pass.

The American side said the Chinese naval vessels operated within international rules and norms.