China, Russia hold joint naval drill in South China Sea

China and Russia’s naval forces began a joint exercise at a military port in the South China Sea on Sunday, according to a report from news agency Xinhua.

The exercise started in Guangdong province just days after NATO allies described Beijing as a “decisive enabler” of the war in Ukraine during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.

“The PRC has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base,” said a NATO communique last week.