China says it will deploy its troops to participate in joint military exercises with Russia and other countries, including India, Belarus and Tajikistan.

On Wednesday, the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement that its participation in the joint exercises was “unrelated to the current international and regional situation.”

“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the statement said.

China and Russia held their first joint military exercise in May after the invasion of Ukraine.

The bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and continued toward the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. South Korea had issued a statement hours later confirming the exercise, saying two Chinese military aircraft and four Russian warplanes entered its air defence identification zone off the country’s east coast. China later confirmed the exercise after South Korea and Japan released statements. 

In February, President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing for the Winter Olympics and met with President Xi Jinping; both governments issued a 5,000-word statement saying both nations had a “no limits” partnership.

Throughout the war, Beijing has supported Moscow diplomatically, criticising the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and maintaining Moscow’s assertions that the alliance’s expansion posed a threat to global peace.