China-Russia joint air patrol targets no third party: spokesman

BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The joint strategic air patrol by Chinese and Russian air forces does not target any third party, and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situations, a Chinese defense spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, the air forces of China and Russia conducted a routine joint strategic air patrol in 2022, said Wu Qian, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense.

It was the fourth strategic patrol jointly conducted by the two air forces since 2019, with the purpose of testing and improving the level of coordination between the two air forces, and promoting the strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two militaries, Wu said while answering a question from the press.