China and Russia start weeklong "Joint Sea" naval exercises off Qingdao this week, deploying destroyers, frigates, submarines and support vessels from both navies to conduct air defense, anti-missile, anti-submarine and surface-strike drills.The maneuvers follow recent joint air patrols over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific that drew protests from South Korea and Japan and diplomatic notes from Tokyo to Beijing and Moscow.China has also resumed maritime patrols east of Taiwan, prompting objections from Taipei and European governments, and Western officials warn that closer military coordination between
Vladimir Putin and
Xi Jinping risks enabling
Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and heightening regional tensions.