Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrol in the Western part of the Pacific ocean on October 17-23, Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a joint statement.
Moscow and Beijing, which staged naval cooperation drills in the Sea of Japan earlier in October, have cultivated closer military and diplomatic ties in recent years at a time when their relations with the West have soured.
The naval manoeuvres have been closely watched by Japan, which said earlier this week that a group of 10 vessels from China and Russia sailed through the Tsugaru Strait separating Japan’s main island and its northern island of Hokkaido.
The strait is regarded as international waters.