Russia and China Send Multiple Warships to Contested South China Sea

Ryan Chan

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The quasi-alliance of China and Russia is holding joint naval activities in the South China Sea, China's navy announced.

On Monday, the Chinese navy reported details about its fourth joint patrol with the Russian navy since 2021 in a post on a social platform. It said the joint naval formation had entered the South China Sea via the Balintang Channel the previous day.

The formation began the patrol in waters around South Korea's Jeju Island in the East China Sea earlier, the report said. It then transited the Osumi Strait near Japan eastward before heading southward to the South China Sea.

The U.S. Navy regularly holds joint exercises and patrols with its allied navies in the South China Sea. But it is rare for China to do the same, as it views the contested waters as its "backyard."