China, Russia hold first navy exercises

China and Russia launched their first joint naval exercises yesterday, with war games in the Yellow Sea that come amid tensions between China and its Asian neighbours over territorial claims.

The six days of drills – the first dedicated exercises involving navies of the two countries – are taking place off China’s east coast, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Although China has said the military exercises are designed to improve regional stability, they come at a time when Beijing is boosting military spending and more forcefully stating its case in territorial disputes.

China and several of its neighbours have rival claims to uninhabited islands in the strategic maritime region, which is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas and straddles strategic shipping lanes vital to global trade.

Beijing and Tokyo also have a long-running dispute over another chain of islands in the East China Sea, called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan, which sit in rich fishing grounds that may also harbour energy resources.

China has 16 naval vessels and two submarines taking part in the exercises while Russia has four warships, according to state media.

They will focus on joint air defence, anti-submarine tactics and search and rescue, as well as simulated rescue of hijacked vessels and anti-terrorism drills.

China and Russia have together participated in four military exercises since 2005, some involving other countries, state media has said.

Earlier this month, China and the Philippines dispatched vessels to enforce rival claims to a group of islands in the South China Sea.

The Philippines and the United States also started major war games as a timely boost to their military alliance, as part of Washington’s “pivot” towards Asia, which has provoked displeasure from China.

The People’s Liberation Army Daily, a newspaper known for its nationalistic editorial stance, on Saturday issued a warning to the United States over its participation.

Japan has so far not commented on the Sino-Russian drills.