Russian, Chinese navies to conduct joint patrols in Asia-Pacific, Interfax reports

(Reuters) -Russian and Chinese naval vessels will conduct joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific following recent exercises in the Sea of Japan, Russia's Interfax reported on Wednesday.

"Crews of the Russian Navy and China's PLA Navy will form a new task group to carry out joint patrol missions in the Asia-Pacific region," Interfax said, citing a statement from the Russian Pacific Fleet's press service.

The two navies held joint drills in the Sea of Japan over Aug 1-5 that included artillery firing, practising anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improving joint search and rescue operations at sea.

During the final phase of the exercises, Russian large anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and corvette Gromky, together with Chinese destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, carried out live-fire training drills and crews practiced searching for and neutralising a mock enemy submarine, Interfax reported.

The Pacific Fleet earlier said that the drills were defensive in nature and not directed against any other countries.

Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular exercises to rehearse coordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Kim Coghill)

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