Russia/China/Defense – Russian, Chinese troops to hold joint drills in China’s north in August (TASS)

TASS writes: The Russian and Chinese troops will hold joint drills in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northern China in the first half of August, Spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry Wu Qian announced on Thursday. “Based on the consensus reached between China and Russia, the Russian Armed Forces will take part in the drills West/Interaction-2021 that will run in China at the beginning and in the middle of August,” the spokesman said. The drills will run on the premises of the army training base in the town of Qingtongxia, the spokesman specified. Russia and China will set up a joint command center. Both sides will send over 10,000 troops to participate in the joint maneuvers that will also involve aircraft and artillery, he said. The drills aim to strengthen and develop a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and China, maintain regional peace and stability and demonstrate the resolve to fight terrorism, the Chinese Defense Ministry’s spokesman stressed.