Beijing, May 1 (IANS): China and Russia will stage joint naval drills in the East China Sea off Shanghai in late May, authorities said.
China's ministry of national defence has said the "Joint Sea-2014" drills are regular exercises held by the Chinese and Russian navies, and is aimed to enhance practical cooperation between the two militaries, reported Xinhua.
The exercises are also aimed to strengthen their capabilities to jointly deal with maritime security threats, said a report published on the ministry's web site.
China and Russia held similar drills off the coast of Russia's Far East last year, which saw seven vessels from China's North Sea Fleet and South Sea Fleet and 12 vessels from Russia's Pacific Fleet take part in the weeklong exercises.