Russia and China will conduct naval drills in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa next month in another indication of their strengthening relationships with Africa's most developed country amid the war in Ukraine and global financial uncertainty.
The South African armed forces said Thursday that they and the Russian and Chinese navies will engage in “a multinational maritime exercise” from Feb. 17-27 off South Africa's east coast near the cities of Durban and Richards Bay.
The South African government said last year that it had adopted a neutral stance over Ukraine and called for dialogue and diplomacy, but the upcoming naval drills have led the country's main opposition party to accuse the government of effectively siding with Russia. The three countries also conducted a similar naval exercise in 2019 in Cape Town, while Russia and China held joint naval drills in the East China Sea last month.
Experts have warned of Russia's increased military influence in Africa since it first annexed parts of Ukraine in 2014, while the Biden administration also recognizes the importance of strengthening relations on the continent after China has spent decades entrenching itself in Africa's natural resources markets. Improving relations with South Africa is central to the U.S. effort of limiting Russian and Chinese influence.
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