Fears are increasing that Russia and China may build combined military capabilities, causing relations with the West to worsen further. According to analysts, the two rogue nations are about to share their electric communications networks to enhance their strategic presence.
In the western province of Ningxia, Moscow and Beijing have been conducting a practice with about 10,000 troops. The focus is early warning and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and coordinated attacks, according to their defense ministries' statements.
Joint military drills amid human rights accusations
Russia and China have launched a large-scale joint military exercise in China's north-central Ningxia province, maneuvers that come as the two countries battle over a range of topics, including human rights and regional security concerns, with Washington and its Western allies. As part of the military drill, the Russian military claimed it has dispatched Su-30SM fighter aircraft, motorized rifle battalions, and air defense systems to China.
The military exercises represent the first time Russian troops have used Chinese weapons, although the two countries have been conducting cooperative exercises since 2005. The growing connection between Beijing and Moscow, according to Richard McGregor, a China expert at the Lowy Institute think tank in Australia, is more than a "marriage of convenience."
The Ningxia area borders Xinjiang, where China is accused of interning over a million Uighurs in camps, as per Al Jazeera via MSN. Human rights violations, including arbitrary imprisonment, forced labor, torture, forced sterilization, and family separation, have been alleged by critics, including the United States.
China has disputed the accusations, claiming that the camps are re-education centers set up to combat separatism and terrorism while also promoting economic growth. Xinjiang shares a small border with Afghanistan, and Beijing is afraid that if the Taliban continue their progress and take control of the nation amid fierce fighting triggered by the withdrawal of US forces, bloodshed would pour over the border.
Separately, Russia performed joint maneuvers with Uzbek and Tajik soldiers near the Afghan border in Tajikistan on Tuesday. Moscow also stated it was stockpiling assault rifles and other weapons at its military facility in Tajikistan.
Russia will be allowed to use China's arsenal vehicle for the first time
Russian soldiers were seen firing from Chinese wheeled tanks and other armored vehicles, according to footage. The military drills, which include both ground soldiers and air forces, will take place in China's Ningxia Hui autonomous province through Friday.
Xinjiang, which shares a short border with Afghanistan, is on the other side of the region. If the Taliban retake control of Afghanistan, Beijing is concerned that terrorism would spread to once restive Xinjiang, Daily Mail reported.
The Uighur ethnic minority, which is predominantly Muslim, has its native home in Xinjiang. The United States has accused China of genocide in Xinjiang, while international human rights organizations have stated the country's activities in the area amount to crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, in a coordinated effort with its Central Asian allies, Russia has moved soldiers near the former Soviet border with Afghanistan. The military drills show tight collaboration between Russia and China, according to Russian analyst Alexander Lomanov of Kommersant.
Per Express.co, because of China and Russia's recent interaction with the Taliban, experts are said to be keeping a careful eye on the operation. It comes after the United States and many other Western countries began withdrawing from Afghanistan, leaving the already war-torn country in devastation.
Signs that Moscow and Beijing are learning to coordinate missions and undertake coordinated operations are being closely monitored. Russia's decision to participate in the military drills was undoubtedly a move toward expanding contact and military cooperation, said Mikhail Barabanov, a senior study fellow at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.
While the connection between Moscow and Beijing isn't formalized, analysts think their forces may start forming joint command structures to improve their collaboration. Russian soldiers will be allowed access to Beijing's arsenal of armored vehicles for the first time, according to Chinese military media.
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