Hauwa Ali
The second joint naval exercise between China, Russia and South Africa aimed at safeguarding sea transport and maritime economic activities has begun.
The seven days exercise which began February 20 to end on February 27, was themed “joint security operation on safeguarding sea transport and maritime economic activities”, as announced by China’s Ministry of National Defense in a press release on Sunday.
This highlights the intensive efforts of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to restore exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries.
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According to agreements reached by China, Russia and South Africa, the navies of the three countries started their second joint naval exercise in sea and air regions east of South Africa’s Durban and the Richards Bay.
Amid the hypes from Western countries which claimed that such exercise is “controversial,” Chinese analysts stressed that China has its free will to conduct joint drills with any friendly countries, and that the exercise will contribute to peace and stability in the region and the protection of sea lanes for commercial ships, and is not related to conflicts or tensions elsewhere in the world.
TheThe Type 052D destroyer Huainan, the Type 054A frigate Rizhao and the Type 903A comprehensive replenishment ship Kekexilihu of the PLA Navy’s 42nd escort task force are all employed to participate in the drills, according to the press release.
It is conducive to further promoting cooperation in the fields of defense and security among BRICS members, and enhancing all participating parties’ capabilities in jointly safeguarding maritime security.
“The trilateral exercise will benefit all participating countries by aligning their operational naval systems and improving joint command and control,” South Africa’s Minister of Defense and Military Veterans Thandi Modise said.
The drills will run until February 27, with China sending a destroyer, a frigate and a support ship, South Africa represented by a frigate and two support ships, and Russia deploying a frigate and a tanker, which also noted that the Russian frigate will demonstrate the Zircon hypersonic missile.
It is the second time the three countries have held a joint naval exercise, with the first one held in November 2019 in the southwest of South Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.
The joint drills will contribute to peace and stability in the region, as the three countries have common interests in protecting sea lanes involving key commercial activities in the Indian Ocean from piracy and other security threats, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Friday.
Western countries and their media have been hyping the exercise as “controversial,” citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, South Africa’s refusal to condemn and impose sanctions on Russia, and tensions over the Taiwan question.
But these are just accusations that the West has made against this peacefully intended exercise, the expert said.
The drill is not related to any other ongoing situation, and it is also very normal for China to conduct joint exercises with friendly countries, the expert said.
Intensive foreign interactions, including participation in joint drills and international exhibitions, show that the PLA is proactively boosting its military exchange and cooperation with other countries in the post-COVID era, as it continues to open to the world, providing positive factors to enhance understanding and manage differences, experts said.
