China and Russia are conducting joint naval activities in the South China Sea, as announced by the Chinese navy.

On Monday, the Chinese navy detailed its fourth joint patrol with the Russian navy since 2021 on a social platform. The naval formation entered the South China Sea via the Balintang Channel the previous day.

The patrol began near South Korea’s Jeju Island in the East China Sea, transited the Osumi Strait near Japan, and then headed southward to the South China Sea.

While the U.S. Navy regularly conducts joint exercises in the South China Sea with allied navies, it is uncommon for China to do the same, as it considers these waters its “backyard.”

The Balintang Channel, a strategic choke point in the Luzon Strait, lies between Taiwan, the Philippines, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Sea, Newsweek has reported.

Both the Philippines and Taiwan are U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region, with Taiwan being a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing and the Philippines having territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

Written by B.C. Begley