China-Russia Military Drills Escalate Amid US Sanctions

China and Russia have conducted six joint military exercises in 2022, accounting for two-thirds of China's drills with foreign militaries, with five of them taking place after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As China increases pressure on Taiwan, it has frozen high-level military dialogue with the US and intensified military engagement with Russia, which is seen as a way to counterbalance against US power. The drills between China and Russia, although smaller in scale compared to those between the US and its allies, carry political significance and send a message to the US and its allies. The growing defense cooperation between China and Russia raises concerns among US policymakers about a de facto alliance between the two countries.