How Russia and China Are Countering US Alliance’s Missile Menace

[ad_1] Russia and China just lately performed a joint anti-missile train, which an professional informed Newsweek signaled a rising stage of belief, with the 2 sides capable of mutually profit amid the proliferation of long-range precision weapons in Europe and Asia.

In a brief assertion launched on Saturday, China's Protection Ministry mentioned the warfare sport, held at an undisclosed location in Russia in early December, didn't goal any third celebration and had nothing to do with the "present worldwide and regional state of affairs."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Protection Ministry by electronic mail for additional remark.

Why It Issues China has been one among Russia's closest companions because the outbreak of the full-scale warfare in Ukraine in 2022, with Moscow describing its relations with Beijing as a partnership "with out limitations or taboos." The 2 nations have intently cooperated on army issues, together with joint patrols and bilateral drills, to bolster their readiness.

The Russia-China drill got here amid United States deployment of mid-range missiles in Japan and the Philippines, together with plans to station related weapons in Germany subsequent yr. In the meantime, the Trump administration is advancing its plan to construct the Golden Dome missile protection community to guard the homeland from all varieties of aerial threats.

<img id="11179369" alt="" caption="Chinese military vehicles transport the HQ-29 air and missile defense system past Tiananmen Square during a military parade in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025." captionoverride="Chinese HQ-29 air and missile defense system launchers roll during a military parade in Beijing, China, on September 3, 2025." src="China News Service/VCG via AP/Sheng Jiapeng" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="2107" height="1276" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 1024px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25247120861253.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> What To Know In response to China's Protection Ministry, the December drill marked the third time it has performed an anti-missile train with its Russian counterpart. The earlier two warfare video games, each code-named Aerospace Safety, had been held in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Throughout the 2017 train—based mostly on laptop simulations—each militaries performed joint air protection and anti-missile protection operations to check their skill to reply to "unintentional and provocative ballistic and cruise missile strikes" on their territories, CGTN reported.

Dmitry Stefanovich, a analysis fellow on the Primakov Nationwide Analysis Institute of World Economic system and Worldwide Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, informed Newsweek on Monday that the lengthy pause between the second and third anti-missile workout routines may mirror a "rising stage of mutual belief" between Russia and China.

"I imply, train in 2017 may need been perceived as peak cooperation within the airspace protection area, however by 2025 Russia and China are prepared for one thing extra spectacular," he mentioned, regardless of no details about the substance of the newest train.

Joint missile protection workout routines may contribute to the rising mutual belief between Russia and China, in addition to their army operational compatibility, Stefanovich mentioned.

Moreover, Russia has what the analyst referred to as "distinctive expertise" in each defending towards all types of aerial threats, together with superior Western missiles and drones, in addition to in penetrating layered air and missile protection techniques throughout its warfare with Ukraine.

<img id="11179393" alt="" caption="Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system launchers roll during a military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2025." src="AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="1908" height="1363" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 1024px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AP25129416705023.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> Ukraine has obtained a variety of weapons from NATO nations, together with the Patriot system for air and missile protection, in addition to the Storm Shadow cruise missile and the Military Tactical Missile System for long-range land-attack missions towards Russia.

"PLA undoubtedly has urge for food to get a share of such expertise, particularly given the proliferation of long-range precision weapons in addition to missile defenses within the Asia-Pacific," Stefanovich added, referring to the Chinese language Folks's Liberation Military.

What Folks Are Saying Dmitry Stefanovich, a analysis fellow on the Primakov Nationwide Analysis Institute of World Economic system and Worldwide Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, informed Newsweek: "Whereas absence of any hyperlinks to real-world developments is emphasised, a minimum of within the Chinese language releases, it's clear that such traits [of U.S. deployment of mid-range missiles] can not and shouldn't be ignored. Furthermore, I can think about that the Golden Dome and world scope of the U.S. missile protection growth and deployment had been thought-about as an element on this train as effectively."

The Pentagon's Chinese language army energy report learn: "The PLA most likely seeks to include classes from how Russia and Ukraine are using affect operations within the battle into its personal doctrine. The results of Western sanctions towards Russia virtually actually have amplified the [People's Republic of China]'s push for protection and technological self-sufficiency in addition to financial and power resilience."

What Occurs Subsequent Russia and China are anticipated to proceed their army cooperation to counter U.S.-led alliances in Europe—NATO—and in Asia—Japan and South Korea. It stays to be seen how Moscow and Beijing will additional improve their strategic partnership.