Richard Saunders, Kampot
The Russian Pacific Fleet announced on Monday that Russian and Chinese warships carried out live-fire exercises in the Yellow Sea as part of the annual Joint Sea-2026 naval drills, highlighting deepening military ties between Moscow and Beijing that are increasingly watched with unease from Taipei.
The sea phase of the exercises brought together vessels from Russia’s Pacific Fleet and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. Crews focused on countering contemporary threats, particularly simulated drone and unmanned boat attacks, reflecting modern maritime warfare scenarios.
Over multiple days, the joint task force — which included guided-missile cruisers, submarines, destroyers, and rescue ships — practiced repelling mock assaults by unmanned aerial and surface vehicles. Naval artillery and shipboard machine guns were deployed, while electronic warfare systems were used to neutralize simulated mass attacks. The participants also conducted joint maneuvering, anti-submarine operations, engagements with simulated enemy surface ships, and search-and-rescue drills, according to the Russian Pacific Fleet.
The Joint Sea-2026 exercises officially commenced on July 6. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the drills are not aimed at any specific country and that the military partnership between Russia and China helps strengthen regional security. China’s Defense Ministry echoed this, describing the drills as part of their regular bilateral cooperation plan to jointly tackle security challenges and uphold peace and stability in the region.
In recent years, Moscow and Beijing have significantly expanded their military, political, and economic collaboration, frequently characterizing their relationship as a “comprehensive strategic partnership” that is not directed against any third party.
From Taipei’s standpoint, the growing frequency and sophistication of such Sino-Russian joint exercises add to concerns about an increasingly assertive axis in the broader Indo-Pacific. While the drills took place in the Yellow Sea, they come against the backdrop of heightened Chinese military activity around Taiwan and Beijing’s refusal to rule out the use of force to achieve unification. Analysts in Taiwan note that enhanced interoperability between the Russian and Chinese navies could indirectly complicate regional dynamics, potentially emboldening Beijing’s gray-zone tactics or complicating future crisis scenarios in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese officials continue to monitor these developments closely as part of broader efforts to strengthen defense ties with like-minded partners.
The exercises underscore the evolving security environment that Taiwan must navigate, even as both Moscow and Beijing insist their partnership remains purely defensive in nature.
