China to join Russia in joint naval drills in Sea of Japan
PLA's chief of general staff denies that exercises in Sea of Japan are aimed at any third party, despite tension with Tokyo over Diaoyu Islands
China will participate in its largest ever joint naval drills this week as it joins Russia for military exercises in the Sea of Japan.
The drills, which analysts believe come in response to last month's live-fire exercises between the US and Japanese navies, are expected to begin on Friday and last eight days.
The reported yesterday that the PLA Navy and the Russian Pacific Fleet would stage its "Joint Sea-2013" exercises in the Sea of Japan's Peter the Great Gulf.
The two militaries also plan to hold an anti-terrorism drill named "Peace Mission-2013" in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk from July 27 to August 15.
The joint naval drills were announced by the PLA's chief of general staff, General Fang Fenghui and his Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov, at a press conference in Moscow, Xinhua reported.
The announcement was made less than a week after the United States and Japan finished ship-to-shore exercises at a training range off the San Diego coast.