BEIJING, October 28. /TASS/. The Joint Sea 2021 China-Russia naval maneuvers held in the Pacific Ocean were not aimed against third countries, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Senior Colonel Tan Kefei told a briefing on Thursday.
"On October 14-23, the navies of both countries successfully held the Joint Sea exercise and conducted joint patrols. This contributed to bolstering the capabilities of both countries’ navies to jointly respond to threats at sea and also to maintain peace and stability in the region," the spokesman said.
"This gave a new impetus to the relationships between the armed forces of both states. The drills were part of the annual plan of the armed forces of both states and were not aimed against third countries," he stressed.
In the course of the joint drills, China employed Project 055 Nanchang-type destroyers and Y-8 aircraft for the first time, the spokesman said.
About the drills
The Joint Sea 2021 Russia-China drills ran in the Sea of Japan on October 14-17. Following the drills, a joint naval taskforce of 10 warships conducted joint patrols in the western Pacific. In the course of the joint maneuvers, the warships of the Russian and Chinese navies passed through the Tsugaru Strait for the first time (a strait between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean).
The Russian Navy was represented in the joint naval taskforce of ten warships by the Pacific Fleet’s forces that included the large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Panteleyev and the Project 20380 corvettes Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Gromky, two coastal-type minesweepers, the Project 877 submarine Ust-Bolsheretsk, a missile boat and a rescue tug.
The Chinese Navy was represented by the destroyers Kunming and Nanchang, the corvettes Qinzhou and Luzhou and also a diesel submarine, a supply ship and a rescue vessel.