Chinese and Russian naval vessels have begun joint patrols in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday, hours before the leaders of the two countries are expected to hold talks in Uzbekistan.
The ministry said the mission, which follows the first such joint patrols conducted last October, will include tactical maneuvering and artillery shooting drills, according to Russia's Tass news agency.
"The tasks of the patrols are to strengthen naval cooperation between Russia and China, maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, monitor sea waters, and protect Russian and Chinese maritime economic activity facility," the agency quoted the ministry as saying.
Later Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will hold talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand, according to the Kremlin, with the two meeting in person for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
The Chinese military recently joined Russia's Vostok exercises, which involved over 50,000 military personnel from 14 countries including India, Mongolia, Belarus and Tajikistan, sending its ships to the Sea of Japan.