China and Belarus are holding military drills close to the Polish border during the summit in Washington, which is a clear message to NATO. NATO has taken note of Beijing’s strengthening connections with Russia, citing China as a “decisive supporter” of Russia’s aggression war in Ukraine, among other military-related supplies.

According to scholar Ekman, the People’s Republic is seen as unquestionably antagonistic toward NATO for historical as well as increasingly for strategic grounds. China has never forgiven the Alliance for the 1999 NATO aircraft bombardment of its consulate in Belgrade. Beijing is also aware that the Alliance operated well outside of its borders in the next years in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.

Analysts view this as a deliberate move rather than a coincidence, seen as a clear signal directed towards NATO. Amid NATO’s recent meetings in Washington, the exercises near the Polish border underscore tensions between Beijing and the Western alliance.

The joint drills, named “Falcon Strike 2024,” are reportedly taking place in the Belarusian border city of Brest and commenced on a Monday, scheduled to continue until mid-July. The exercises, labeled as “Anti-Terror,” mark the first such collaboration since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict in which Belarus has supported Russia.

According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, the aim of the exercises is to enhance combat techniques and deepen cooperation and communication between the two militaries. The ministry emphasized that the maneuvers are not targeted against any specific country.

Poland, a NATO member, is closely monitoring the situation in its vicinity. The Polish Defense Ministry stated that it is closely observing and analyzing the developments, acknowledging the potential for these operations to be utilized for disinformation and propaganda purposes during the NATO summit.

Strengthening Bonds with Russia

The main topics of discussion at the present meeting in Washington, which is scheduled to end on a Wednesday, are the conflict in Ukraine and Western backing for Kiev. The leaders of state and government voiced “deep concern” over China’s tight connections to Russia in a statement that was made public on Wednesday. Beijing has not denounced Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and keeps giving Moscow military and civilian supplies. Though Beijing and Moscow have strengthened their ties since the war started, the People’s Republic still views itself as neutral in the fight.

China is currently stationing its forces on the territory of its closest friend and Ukraine’s neighbor, near the Atlantic Alliance border, as a result of the drill. The time and place

The exercise has been “thoughtfully chosen” in terms of timing.

Joint military exercises have a well-planned schedule that fits well with the global agenda, according to Alice Ekman of the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). She provided an additional instance: “In April 2023, the Chinese conducted joint exercises with Russia in the East China Sea near Japanese islands – a day before a summit of the USA, Japan, and South Korea, to express their opposition to such a meeting.”

Beijing took strong exception to the most recent accusations made by the Alliance. According to a spokesman for China’s EU mission, NATO need to cease inventing the “so-called threat from China” and “provoking confrontation and rivalry.”

More should be done by the defense alliance to promote global peace and stability.