Reuters published on 23 January 2023 an article titled "South Africa Defends Planned Military Drills with Russia and China" by Carien Duplessis.
South Africa plans to host a trilateral naval exercise off its coast in February with ships from Russia and China. Responding to criticism and with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by her side, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor stated: "All countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide. It's the natural course of relations."
