Holding military drills has been a pattern for the Chinese and Russian forces to deepen their cooperation. The just-ended exercises in Vostok are the latest example.

Twenty-four helicopters from the Chinese army participated in Russia's largest war games since the Soviet era. Senior Colonel Li Xincheng, a 20-year veteran pilot, was the commander of these aerial attacking machines.

Having participated in four China-Russia joint drills before, he admitted this one is much more difficult. "Unlike the many drills before, this time from the top to the bottom, we have fighter-bombers, helicopters and tanks firing shells at the same time in a three- dimensional attacking system."

According to Li, this dangerous but efficient attacking system is not commonly seen in China's domestic drills.

But the Russians, who have been fighting the war in Syria, are already used to it. "Almost all the Russian helicopter pilots in this drill have participated in the Syria conflict, so they have very rich real combat experience," Li added.

He told CGTN that they found that some of the Russian army's equipment have been modified based on their experience in Syria. "Their equipment has been tested in the real battlefield, which we can learn from."

Photo by Yang Zaixin

"We can learn from their experience of how to fight in cities, in deserts, and in mountains," said Li Shuyin, a researcher from the PLA Academy of Military Sciences.

For the Russians, they can also learn something from their Chinese counterparts.

In modern warfare, crossing a water to pursue and attack the enemy is essential for armored forces, which is also an important part of the Vostok-2018 drills.

"In 2015, when we held a joint military drill with Russia, we had some skills of building the floating bridge that the Russians didn't have," said Chi Xuwen, staff of a Chinese Pontoon-Bridge Battalion.

"But a year later in another joint drill, we found that they started to use those skills," he added.