China's Defense Ministry said the China‑Russia "Maritime Joint‑2026" naval
exercise off Qingdao completed drills on joint reconnaissance and air/missile
defense and has moved into a maritime joint‑patrol phase. Spokesman Col. Jiang
Bin said the activity is part of the two militaries' annual cooperation plan to
enhance joint operational capability and address maritime security threats, and
is unrelated to current international or regional situations. He said the
cooperation adheres to principles of non‑alignment, non‑confrontation and not
targeting third parties, and urged other parties to view it objectively and
cease speculative smearing.
