Chinese troops join Belarus in drills near Polish border amid NATO tensions
7:27 AM EDT, July 7, 2024
Chinese soldiers arrived in Belarus to participate in anti-terrorism exercises with the local army. Minsk claims this is part of building a "military allied bloc" in response to the alleged aggressive actions by NATO. The maneuvers are being organized near the Polish border.
The exercises, which will involve soldiers from China and Belarus, will last from July 8 to 19 and are organized near the Polish border.
According to a Belarusian Ministry of Defense statement, these joint maneuvers are "an opportunity to exchange experiences and coordinate military units."
Much of the information provided by Russian and Belarusian media or government representatives is propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation and Belarus.
The Chinese army near the Polish border
"The joint training aims to facilitate the exchange of experience, coordinate Belarusian and Chinese units, and lay the foundation for further development of Belarusian-Chinese relations in the field of joint military training," reads the Belarusian Ministry of Defense.
The maneuvers are to take place in the Brest region, bordering Poland. Chinese units will be accommodated in temporary bases, likely located several dozen miles from the border.
According to analysts, Chinese planes have already landed at the military airport in Baranavichy in the Brest region.
Belarusian MOD on the threat from NATO
As the Belarusian state media propagandistically claim, exercises involving soldiers of the People's Liberation Army of China are another element of "building a military allied bloc." According to Minsk's deceitful narrative, this is a response to NATO's alleged potential aggressive actions.
Chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces General Staff, Vladimir Kupriyanuk, stated that the North Atlantic Alliance "is continually increasing its presence" on the western side of the border. Minsk's propaganda suggests this should be considered an increasing threat of armed conflict, and therefore, it is necessary to prepare for various scenarios.
