Chinese Warship Joins Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship has arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, to participate in the upcoming Russian Navy Day celebrations. This event highlights the growing military cooperation between China and Russia and showcases the PLA Navy’s expanding capabilities in far seas operations.
The Type 052D guided missile destroyer Jiaozuo, part of the PLA Navy’s 46th escort task group, arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday. The ship sailed along the Neva River on Tuesday in a welcome ceremony, greeted by a Russian military band, military representatives, and local residents.
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The Jiaozuo is scheduled to stay in St. Petersburg for approximately a week. During this time, it will be open for public visits and participate in a naval parade on Sunday, with a rehearsal planned for Thursday.
This is not the first time China has participated in Russia’s Navy Day celebrations. In 2019, the PLA Navy sent the Type 052C guided missile destroyer Xi’an to the event. The deployment of the more advanced Type 052D destroyer this year reflects the ongoing development of the PLA Navy and strengthening China-Russia military ties.
The visit comes on the heels of recent joint China-Russia naval patrols in the northern Pacific and South China Sea, as well as a joint naval exercise off China’s southern coast. These activities have drawn attention from Western media and analysts.
Some Western media outlets, including Newsweek, have characterized the Chinese warships’ presence in the Baltic Sea as entering a “NATO lake.” This rhetoric has been dismissed by Chinese experts as a double standard, given the frequent presence of US warships in areas near China.
Analysts emphasize that the recent military interactions between China and Russia reflect their shared opposition to hegemony and their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the face of deteriorating global and regional security situations.
The participation of the Chinese warship in Russia’s Navy Day celebrations underscores the deepening military ties between the two nations and demonstrates China’s growing naval capabilities. While some Western observers view these developments with concern, Chinese and Russian officials frame this cooperation as a contribution to regional stability and a counterbalance to perceived hegemonic influences.
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