How Russia and China are countering US alliance’s missile threat

Russia and China recently conducted a joint anti-missile exercise, which an expert told Newsweek signaled a growing level of trust, with the two sides able to mutually benefit amid the proliferation of long-range precision weapons in Europe and Asia.

In a short statement released on Saturday, China‘s Defense Ministry said the war game, held at an undisclosed location in Russia in early December, did not target any third party and had nothing to do with the “current international and regional situation.”

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email for further comment.

Why It Matters

China has been one of Russia’s closest partners since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, with Moscow describing its relations with Beijing as a partnership “without limitations or taboos.” The two countries have closely cooperated on military matters, including joint patrols and bilateral drills, to bolster their readiness.

The Russia-China drill came amid United States deployment of mid-range missiles in Japan and the Philippines, along with plans to station similar weapons in Germany next year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is advancing its plan to build the Golden Dome missile defense network to protect the homeland from all types of aerial threats.

What To Know

According to China’s Defense Ministry, the December drill marked the third time it has conducted an anti-missile exercise with its Russian counterpart. The previous two war games, both code-named Aerospace Security, were held in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

During the 2017 exercise—based on computer simulations—both militaries conducted joint air defense and anti-missile defense operations to test their ability to respond to “accidental and provocative ballistic and cruise missile strikes” on their territories, CGTN reported.

Dmitry Stefanovich, a research fellow at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Newsweek on Monday that the long pause between the second and third anti-missile exercises might reflect a “growing level of mutual trust” between Russia and China.

“I mean, exercise in 2017 might have been perceived as peak cooperation in the airspace defense domain, but by 2025 Russia and China are ready for something more impressive,” he said, despite no information about the substance of the latest exercise.

Joint missile defense exercises could contribute to the growing mutual trust between Russia and China, as well as their military operational compatibility, Stefanovich said.

Additionally, Russia has what the analyst called “unique experience” in both defending against all kinds of aerial threats, including advanced Western missiles and drones, as well as in penetrating layered air and missile defense systems during its war with Ukraine.

Ukraine has received a range of weapons from NATO countries, including the Patriot system for air and missile defense, as well as the Storm Shadow cruise missile and the Army Tactical Missile System for long-range land-attack missions against Russia.

“PLA definitely has appetite to get a share of such experience, especially given the proliferation of long-range precision weapons as well as missile defenses in the Asia-Pacific,” Stefanovich added, referring to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

What People Are Saying

Dmitry Stefanovich, a research fellow at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Newsweek: “While absence of any links to real-world developments is emphasized, at least in the Chinese releases, it is clear that such trends [of U.S. deployment of mid-range missiles] cannot and should not be ignored. Moreover, I can imagine that the Golden Dome and global scope of the U.S. missile defense development and deployment were considered as a factor in this exercise as well.”

The Pentagon’s Chinese military power report read: “The PLA probably seeks to incorporate lessons from how Russia and Ukraine are employing influence operations in the conflict into its own doctrine. The effects of Western sanctions against Russia almost certainly have amplified the [People’s Republic of China]’s push for defense and technological self-sufficiency as well as economic and energy resilience.”

What Happens Next

Russia and China are expected to continue their military cooperation to counter U.S.-led alliances in Europe—NATO—and in Asia—Japan and South Korea. It remains to be seen how Moscow and Beijing will further enhance their strategic partnership.