Ukraine war could deepen China-Russia military ties, Japan defence white paper says | South China Morning Post

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine may lead to stronger military ties between China and Russia, the Japanese government said in an annual defence report released on Friday, as Moscow's rift with Western nations over the war deepens. "For Russia, which is internationally isolated and has worn out its ground forces due to the aggression against Ukraine, the importance of political and military cooperation with China could increase," the defence ministry white paper said in a new chapter focused on that issue. It is necessary to "monitor with concern the possibility that China-Russia military collaboration would deepen," the report said,…