MOSCOW – Russia began its biggest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union on Tuesday close to its border with China, mobilizing 300,000 troops in a show of force that will include joint exercises with the Chinese army.
China and Russia have staged joint drills before but not on such a large scale, and the Vostok-2018 (East-2018) exercise signals closer military ties as well as sending an unspoken reminder to Beijing that Moscow is able and ready to defend its sparsely populated far east.
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KEYWORDS
China,
U.S.,
Vladimir Putin,
Russia,
senkakus,
South China Sea,
Xi Jinping,
war games,
Japan,
Donald Trump,
Siberia,
vostok
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