Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in a joint exercise with Russia and other countries including India, Belarus and Tajikistan, the Chinese defence ministry said on Wednesday.

China’s participation in the joint exercises is “unrelated to the current international and regional situation,” the ministry said in a statement.

The exercises are part of an ongoing bilateral annual cooperation agreement, it said. Similar Russian-led joint exercises involving China have taken place in recent years.

“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the statement said.