China Russia naval drill
First joint naval patrol by China, Russia in West Pacific is ‘of vital significance’: military experts
Chinese and Russian naval forces have carried out their first joint sea patrol in waters in the West Pacific between October 17 to 23, Chinese Ministry of Defense said on Saturday, which experts said is of vital significance in sending a clear signal and practicing real world drills.
A China-Russia joint naval ships formation which included a total of 10 warships and six carrier-based helicopters carried out the joint maritime patrol in the Sea of Japan, the West Pacific and the East China Sea, during which they organized exercises over joint sailing and joint maneuvers and conducted live-fire drills.
The patrol was held right after China and Russia wrapped up a joint naval exercise in the Sea of Japan from October 14 to 17.
Immediate exercises including crossing, joint mobility and live fire after the joint naval drill is closer to the situation of actual combat and able to test and improve the forces’ capacity of continuous operation and capacity to remain combat ready in open seas. It could also improve Chinese and Russian navies’ capacity to deal with maritime security threats, Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), told the Global Times on Saturday.
He noted that the first China-Russia joint sea patrol in waters in the West Pacific is of vital significance in sending a clear signal and practicing real world drills.
China and Russia are two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and shoulder the responsibility to sustain world peace. « The arrangement would enhance bilateral trust between China and Russia, develop comprehensive strategic partnership of the two countries in the new era, as well as safeguard international and regional stability, » Zhang noted.
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