The Chinese Armed Forces have deployed nearly a dozen warships in the South China Sea ahead of a series of joint maneuvers with the Russian military, exercises scheduled for later this week.
Thus, at least nine ships are already sailing in the area, although no details have been released about the possibility of all of them participating in the exercises, according to information from the South China Morning Post.
Japanese authorities have confirmed that the aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ has crossed the Miyako Strait, which separates the islands of Okinawa and Miyako. The ship was escorted by several Chinese Navy destroyers.
With these maneuvers, the parties hope to strengthen their naval cooperation in the region to «maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific,» the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
At the end of last year, Chinese and Russian naval vessels completed their first joint patrol in the Pacific as part of a mission aimed at «promoting the maintenance of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the protection of the objects of maritime economic activity of the two countries,» the Russian government said.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)