BEIJING: China and Russia will hold joint military drills in the waters and airspace of the Sea of Japan, Beijing said on Thursday, the latest defence cooperation between the countries.

The exercises will take place August 20 to 28 in the Peter the Great Gulf and other areas off the Russian coast, defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters.

A key purpose of the drills was to “further enhance their capabilities of jointly coping with maritime security threats”, Yang said, adding they will include training in air defence, anti-submarine and surface warfare, and landings. China will send seven naval ships including a destroyer and a frigate, along with fighter jets and other aircraft, Yang said.

Russia’s contingent will include surface vessels, submarines and fixed wing aircraft, he said, adding that both sides will dispatch ship-borne helicopters and marines.

The drills come as Beijing and Moscow intensify cooperation in military, political and economic spheres.

In May they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Medit­erranean. It was China’s farthest ever naval exercise from its home waters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin hold frequent summits and their countries, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often take similar stances there on divisive issues such as the conflict in Syria.

The waters of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of Vladivostok, are close to where the borders of Russia, China and North Korea come together.

Beijing and Tokyo are at odds over islands in the East China Sea farther south controlled by Japan but claimed by China, though both sides have made efforts to cool tensions through dialogue, including meetings between Xi and Japanese prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015

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