China hosts Russian warships that passed by Taiwan, Japan
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During their seven-day visit, the ships will conduct naval drills with the Chinese navy in Shanghai.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING – China hosted two Russian warships that had earlier sailed past Taiwan and Japan,
The two frigates – Gromkiy and Sovershenniy – made port at the financial hub of Shanghai on Wednesday, Chinese state television reported.
During their seven-day visit, the ships will conduct naval drills with the Chinese navy in Shanghai that will include practices on formation movements, communication and sea rescues, according to the report.
The vessels, which belong to Russia’s Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Vladivostok, passed through waters near democratically governed Taiwan at the end of June.
They sailed past Japan’s Okinawa islands, the site of a major United States military base, earlier in July.
The passage prompted Japan to dispatch vessels to monitor their movements, while Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, deployed an aircraft and also ships to keep watch over their transit.
At the end of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in March,
China and Russia have pledged stronger military ties and, on Monday, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu met the head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, in Beijing.
Before that, Russia’s and China’s foreign ministries held a round of consultations on anti-missile defence at end-June.
In June, the chief of the joint staff department of China’s Central Military Commission, General Liu Zhenli, held talks with Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov via video link.
Gen Gerasimov was quoted by Russia’s Tass news agency as saying that the two sides will continue to expand their military cooperation. REUTERS
