TOKYO, July 21. /TASS/. Japan is closely watching the joint Russian-Chinese drills currently taking place in the Sea of Japan, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference on Friday.

"We are watching the current joint maneuvers by the [Russian and Chinese] military closely from the standpoint of ensuring the security of our country," Japan’s top diplomat emphasized.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier that Russia and China would hold their joint naval and air drills, codenamed Northern/Interaction-2023, in the Sea of Japan from July 20 to July 23. The exercise is aimed at enhancing military and naval cooperation between Russia and China as well as safeguarding stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific region.