China and Belarus kicked off ultra-rare joint military drills near the Polish border inside Belarusian territory on Monday. It is unprecedented given Chinese troops are now deployed so close to a raging war zone in Eastern Europe.

The Belarusian armed forces pointed specifically to “Ukrainian provocation” as a key reason to hold the drills. Vladimir Kupriyanyuk, the deputy head of the general staff of the military, said the exercises are a response to the “West’s aggressive foreign policy towards Belarus” and to “Ukrainian provocation.”

State media images show PLA troops arriving in Belarus

Alarmingly, the maneuvers dubbed ‘Eagle Assault’ are not just a single day or two-day drill, but are slated to last eleven days, until July 19. The drills are being staged near the city of Brest on the Belarus-Poland border, and which is some 40 miles from the Belarusian border with Ukraine to the south.

“As part of the anti-terrorist exercises, the military personnel of both countries will work out the issues of night landing, overcoming water obstacles, and conducting operations in [urban settings],” the Belarusian defense ministry announced on Telegram.

The statement called out NATO’s growing involvement in Ukraine specifically: “The NATO grouping on the border with Belarus is growing rapidly, which leads to an increase in tension in the region,” stated a follow-up post. It additionally warned of “harsh reaction” should any external forces “cross Belarusian borders.”

Poland’s Defense Ministry responded by saying that a big focus of the NATO summit in Washington this week will be addressing the “hybrid war ongoing on the Poland-Belarus border, as well as on the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian borders.”

All of this is also happening while Russia has stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which it calls a ‘Union State’ based on their close defensive partnership (and historic treaty) and ongoing cooperation regarding Ukraine.

As for China’s explanation, its defense ministry said Sunday the drills are primarily ‘anti-terrorism’ in nature, to include “hostage rescue operations and counter-terrorism missions.”

🚨🇨🇳🇧🇾Meanwhile China is conducting military drills on the Polish border in a staunch show of support to Belarus.

Are you watching NATO? pic.twitter.com/hSmUcWlcx0

— Aussie Cossack (@aussiecossack) July 9, 2024

“The training aims to enhance the training levels and coordination capabilities of the participating troops, as well as deepen practical cooperation between the armies of the two countries,” it added.

At this point the potential for a true global war centered in Ukraine is becoming easier to imagine, given PLA troops are now in the region, holding drills with the ‘pro-Russian’ side.