Russia and China will be holding a series of anti-missile drills for the first time after the United States talked about an anti-missile defense system with South Korea amid threats from the North.
According to RT, the Russian and Chinese military are aiming to get their personnel prepared for any "incidental or provocative" missile attack by conducting computer-assisted anti-missile drills in Russia later in May.
The move comes after the U.S. and South Korea discussed the possibility of bringing in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to counteract North Korea's incessant test fires over the past few months.
China and Russia Military Ties
Previous reports have confirmed that China and Russia are making efforts in improving their ties by increasing the number of joint military activities with each other.
The drills, which are expected to be conducted at a Russian military research center, are seen to be a part of this venture, proof that the relationship between the two countries is warming up.
Another reason seen to have sparked the anti-missile drills is the recent weeks-long talk between the U.S. and South Korea about the possible deployment of the THAAD along the Korean border to monitor hostile activities against Seoul.
According to Reuters, both Russia and China discourage the deployment of the missile monitoring system because it will tilt the already-fragile balance between the Koreas, which technically remained at odds after the 1950s war ended in a truce instead of a treaty.
Third-party Target
While the timing of the of the China-Russia joint drill appears to be related to the same purpose as the U.S.-South Korea talks, both the Russian Defense Ministry and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense denied that the activities "target any third party."
"The drill later this month should not necessarily be targeted at a certain country . . . because anti-missile cooperation is a component of long-term bilateral military cooperation," Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies former director Wu Enyuan told China Daily.
According to Wu, the joint military drill is a significant step toward a "greater maturity" of the cooperation between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Li Jie, one of the top experts at the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Naval Military Studies Research Institute, explained that the drill that will cover command structures and data transmission will be a great help for the armies to be able to familiarize themselves with the differing systems.
"The drill not only shows political and moral support for each other, but also introduces joint anti-missile efforts that will effectively fend off threats by enemies on their doorsteps," Li explained.