Xi Jinping’s China Is Coming Closer To NATO With Russia’s Ally By Its Side: Here's How

Livemint

Published16 Aug 2026, 04:25 PM IST

China and Belarus have revived their Swift Eagle airborne exercises as tensions remain high along NATO’s eastern borders. Chinese and Belarusian troops are training together in surveillance, urban warfare, seizing strategic objectives and defending captured positions. The drills follow China’s 2024 deployment to Brest, where troops trained less than five kilometres from Poland’s border. While Military Watch notes the exercises do not signal preparations for a joint conventional war, they significantly deepen Beijing’s military cooperation with Moscow’s closest European ally. Why is Xi Jinping expanding practical military ties so close to NATO territory?