On 31 July a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) task group arrived in Vladivostok to take part in Exercise Joint Sea with the Russian Navy. The task group, commanded by Vice Admiral Liu Zhizho, consists of the guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, an unnamed submarine, the replenishment ship Qiandaohu and submarine rescue ship Xihu.
The five-day exercise, will take place in the waters and airspace off Vladivostok. It is reported by the Iranian News Agency that the exercise is under the command of Russian Vice Admiral Denis Berezovsky. He is a former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy who defected to Russia in 2014 during the 2014 Crimean Crisis.
A PLA-N spokesperson said, “the China-Russia Joint Sea series of exercises, having been held for more than ten years, represents an important manifestation of the deepening of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era, as well as a solid practice of jointly safeguarding international fairness and justice and maintaining regional peace and stability. The Chinese PLA-N is willing to join its Russian counterpart to uphold the responsibility and commitment of major countries and make greater contributions to jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity and a maritime community with a shared future.”
Source: PLA, Tass & Iran Press
