Tajikistan participates in Russian-Chinese military exercises

Russia will conduct joint military exercises with the participation of China, Belarus, India, Tajikistan, and Mongolia.

Photo: Internet

It is reported that the joint military exercises “Vostok-2022” will take place from August 30 to September 5 at the training grounds of the Eastern Military District of Russia.

According to the defense ministries of Russia and China, the goal of the exercises is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of the participating countries, enhance the level of strategic interaction between the parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats.

Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country that will participate in the Russian-Chinese military exercises. Meanwhile, the international community and the West have condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and imposed strict sanctions against the country.

Also, against the backdrop of the anti-Russian sanctions, China and India have recently been accused of supporting Russia by opposing Western sanctions and the supply of weapons to Ukraine. However, Beijing assures that the country’s participation in the military exercises “is not related to the current situation at the regional and international level.”

This is the second joint exercise between China and Russia this year. In May, when U.S. President Joe Biden was in Tokyo, China and Russia conducted joint exercises near the territorial waters of Japan and South Korea. It was reported that two Chinese and four Russian bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. South Korea scrambled its fighter jets as a deterrent.

Washington consistently expresses deep concern over the rapprochement between China and Russia.