GETTY

A formidable Chinese flotilla has travelled 10,000 miles for the show of strength with its ally Russia.

Ten ships and the same number of aircraft descended on Europes border to take part in their provocative war games.

Among the arsenal is the Chinese Type 052D guided missile destroyer Hefei, one of the countrys most advanced warships.

And they have been joined by a Russian contingent featuring equally advanced hardware, including two Russian corvettes.

GETTY

The exercises have been met with caution by Nato members, with the Chinese ships being escorted at various points in their mammoth journey by British, Dutch and Danish crafts as it passed through the Channel and the North Sea.

Beijing made clear they were intent to impress by flaunting their military capabilities.

Naval expert Li Jie said: By sending its most advanced guided-missile destroyers, China is expressing its sincerity to Russia and also sends a strong signal to other countries who plan to provoke us.

The US and Britain are two Nato members closely monitoring the games, in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Kaliningrad, Russias heavily militarised enclave on the European mainline between Poland and Lithuania - both Nato members themselves.

The joint US European Command responded, saying: We are closely tracking Russian exercises with other participants like China.

While we support their rights to train in international commons, we expect all nations adhere to international norms and laws.

GETTY

China is expressing its sincerity to Russia

Li Jie

Recent actions by Moscow have inflamed tensions with the West and sparked fear among its neighbours who are wary of Russian aggression.

In particular the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are worried about Russias looming shadow, which has intensified since they annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, leading to a bloody civil war.

Russias only territory within the EU, Kaliningrad has seen its weapons and defence system significantly upgraded.

Mikhail Klimentyev/TASS

1 of 10

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and US President Donald Trump talking during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Also the site where the Kremlin stations its Baltic Sea fleet, the 86 square mile post has recently seen two corvettes armed with Kalibr nuclear-capable missiles deployed there in October.

They were bolstered by the addition of the Iskander nuclear-capable missiles, which will be deployed there permanently alongside S-400 air defence systems.

And anti-ship missiles are stationed near the coast.

GETTY

President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Xi Jinxing cemented their firm friendship with a meeting in Moscow this month, both condemning the deployment of US missiles defence system THAAD in South Korea.

The pair met for the third time this year.

Yang Mian, from the Centre for International Relations at the Chinese Institute of Communications, said: The trend for the development of Chinese-Russian relations has been excellent in recent years, and favourable progress can be noted in military cooperation as well.

Earlier, the two countries conducted drills in various areas of the Pacific Ocean.

This time, the joint exercises in the Baltic Sea reflect the close cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere their mutual strategic support for one another.

In response to Russias growing military presence Nato members decided to deploy four multination battle-groups amounting to 4,500 boots on the ground.

They are primarily stationed in Poland, with Operation Summer Shield is designed as a show of strength against Russia and to dissuade it from any provocative actions.

Visit link:

China and Russia stage war games on EU border taunting West with WW3 threats - Express.co.uk