The announcement came after a phone call on Friday between General Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of China and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

The talk came as the US recently sent warships and aircraft to Taiwan, China and increased selling weapons to Taiwan, as well as holding joint military exercises with Japan and the Philippines.

Chinese observers expect joint military drills between China and Russia like the West/Interaction - 2021 and North/Interaction - 2023 to be held in rotation and more frequently.