SHANGHAI, May 20 /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian-Chinese manoeuvres codenamed Naval Interaction 2014 are beginning in the East China Sea on Tuesday. Taking part in their opening ceremony in Shanghai will be RF President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The manoeuvres involve a squadron of the RF Pacific Fleet comprising six ships, helicopters and a naval task force unit. From the Chinese side also six ships are involved in the exercise.
The RF Defence Ministry told Itar-Tass that the active phase of the manoeuvres would be held on May 22 - 25. It will comprise the drills of joint actions aimed at the release of a simulated seized ship, antisubmarine and search and rescue actions and missile-artillery test firing. The programme also includes a number of cultural and sports events: a concert of navy men, tug-of-war competition and a football match.
Russian-Chinese joint military manoeuvres are held since 2005, the antiterrorist exercises - since 2007. The RF-China navy manoeuvres are held since 2012.
The first Naval Interaction manoeuvres were held in the Yellow Sea near the Shandong Province in April 2012. They involved 25 ships and submarines, 13 planes, nine helicopters and two special task force units. The second Naval Interaction manoeuvres took place in the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan with the participation of 18 ships of the two countries.