ZHOUSHAN, Dec. 21 — Based on the annual cooperation schedule between the Chinese and Russian militaries, the navies of the two countries will hold joint military exercise, Joint Sea 2022, in the East China Sea from December 21 to 27.
The Chinese participating naval ships set sail from a military port in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, on December 20. And the Russian naval ships departed from Vladivostok on December 17 and will arrive at the rendezvous point on December 21 as scheduled.
Concentrating on “joint maintenance of maritime security”, the exercise involves joint operations on blockade and control, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS), air defense, rescue, anti-submarine, and others.
By further highlighting real combat capability and innovation, the joint exercise will consolidate the achievements gained from joint maritime exercises between the Chinese and Russian navies in the past 10 years, raise the level of mutual trust between the two navies, and promote the establishment of a joint maritime patrol mechanism. It will demonstrate the determination and capability of the two sides to jointly respond to maritime security threats and maintain international and regional peace and stability, and promote the innovative development of bilateral naval cooperation from a higher point and to a higher level.
The Chinese participating naval forces come from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern and Northern Theater Commands, including destroyers Baotou and Jinan, frigates Binzhou and Yancheng, supply ship Gaoyouhu, as well as submarine, fixed-wing early warning aircraft and anti-submarine patrol aircraft. And the Russian Navy will be represented by missile cruiser Varyag, frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, corvettes Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Sovershenny, and supply ship Pechanga.
Since 2012, the series of China-Russia “Joint Sea” exercises have become a stable cooperation platform and communication channel for the two navies to elevate strategic mutual trust, enhance traditional friendship, and improve the capability of joint maritime operations, said Senior Captain Gao Xiucheng, a spokesperson for the Chinese navy, on December 20.
