China joins Russia in Mediterranean drills
Print Edition
CHINA is to hold joint naval drills with Russia in the Mediterranean Sea later this month, the first time the two countries will hold military exercises together in that part of the world, the defense ministry said yesterday.
A total of nine ships from the two countries will participate, including vessels China now has on anti-piracy patrols in waters off Somalia, ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told a monthly news briefing.
“The aim is to deepen both countries’ friendly and practical cooperation, and increase our navies’ ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats,” Geng said.
“What needs saying is that these exercises are not aimed at any third party and have nothing to do with the regional situation.”
Geng gave no specific date for the drills, which will be focused on navigation safety, at-sea replenishment, escort missions and live firing.
China’s navy began expanding its reach toward the Mediterranean in 2008, when it first sent ships to join in the anti-piracy patrols.
In 2011, it took the unprecedented step of sending one of its most sophisticated warships together with military transport aircraft to help in the evacuation of about 35,000 Chinese citizens from Libya.
Early last month, it detached three navy ships from anti-piracy patrols to rescue Chinese citizens and other foreign nationals from fighting in Yemen.
Since Western powers imposed economic sanctions on Russia last year over violence in Ukraine, Moscow has accelerated attempts to build ties with Asia, Africa and South America.
China and Russia are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and have close diplomatic, economic and military ties.
Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Moscow later this month to attend a parade celebrating the end of World War II.
North Korea’s leader won’t be there, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said yesterday. The highly anticipated visit would have been Kim Jong Un’s first foreign trip since taking power more than three years ago.
Kim was among 26 world leaders who had accepted an invitation but “internal matters” were preventing him leaving North Korea, Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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