BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold eight days of naval drills in the South China Sea off southern China’s Guangdong province starting from Monday, China’s navy said.
The “Joint Sea-2016” exercise will feature surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters and marines, the Chinese navy said in a statement on Sunday on its official microblog.
The two countries will carry out defense, rescue and anti-submarine operations, as well as “island seizing” and other activities, it added.
Marines will participate in live-fire drills, island defense and landing operations in what will be the largest operation ever taken together by the two countries’ navies, the statement said.
China announced that it had called the “routine” naval exercise in July, saying the drills were aimed at strengthening cooperation and not aimed at any other country.
Russia has been a strong backer of China’s stance on the arbitration case, which was brought by the Philippines.