Moscow - (AFP) - Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov said Thursday that the naval maneuvers planned for this week between the Russian and Chinese navies in the East China Sea are a "response" to the "aggressive" position of the United States in Asia.

"This cooperation is a natural reaction to the aggressive accumulation of US military capabilities in the region," Gerasimov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

He added, "The Russian-Chinese naval and air patrols in the Asia-Pacific region, exercises and exercises have become a practical implementation of the strategic partnership with China."

Russia announced Monday that many of its warships will participate between December 21 and 27 in exercises with the Chinese navy, while Moscow and Beijing are their relations against the West at the height of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said at the time that joint missile, artillery and anti-submarine warfare exercises were also included in the programme.

Valery Gerasimov confirmed Thursday that "the aim of these exercises is to increase the combat harmony of the soldiers and forces of the two countries and their ability to resist new challenges and threats."

The Russian chief of staff said that Moscow and Beijing do not intend, however, to "create alliances" or create "new divisions in the region, as Washington does."

Russia has been seeking for months to strengthen its relations with Asian countries, especially China, in the face of Western sanctions imposed on it in the wake of its attack on Ukraine.