China-Russia naval drill concludes

SHANGHAI - The Chinese and Russian directors of a joint naval drill on Monday announced the successful conclusion of the seven-day initiative.

Alexander Fedotenkov, Russia director of the Joint Sea-2014 exercise and deputy commander of the Russian Navy, said the two sides completed the mission with high competence and gained rich joint command experiences, describing the action as a "pleasant collaboration."

A total of 14 warships, two submarines, nine airplanes and six helicopters from both sides took part in the drill, which focused on escorts, search and rescue, identification, anti-submarine work and the freeing of hijacked ships, among other aspects.

"The drill was another success in the two countries' joint military actions, showcasing to the world the new level of China-Russia strategic mutual trust and collaboration," said Tian Zhong, Chinese director and deputy commander of the Chinese Navy.

According to Tian, there will be further opportunities for the navies of the two countries to cooperate in future.

"Joint naval drills are a direct and solid platform for China and Russia to deepen concrete cooperation and communication. They are of profound significance in their efforts to boost capabilities to cope with security threats, safeguard national sovereignty and maritime interests as well as regional security and stability," said Duan Zhaoxian, executive director of the drill.

According to Duan, the drill involved testing of weapons that are harder to operate than those tested in previous exercises, and a more exacting confrontation exercise greatly boosted the navies' combat capacities.

The two sides have formed a regular system for the organization and implementation of such war games, paving the way for future joint drills.