The Kremlin said on Monday that the joint naval exercises conducted by Russia and China were not directed against any state and were aimed at strengthening regional security and stability.
These annual maneuvers take place from July 6 to 13 in the waters and airspace off the Chinese city of Qingdao. Russia is participating with several ships from its Pacific Fleet, including a cruiser, a corvette, a diesel-electric submarine, and a rescue vessel.
During the opening ceremony, Russian Rear Admiral Sergei Sinko stated that these exercises would take naval cooperation between Moscow and Beijing to a new level, while emphasizing their defensive nature.
Asked about the reactions these maneuvers might provoke in the Asia-Pacific region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured that they did not constitute a threat to any country.
"Our joint exercises are not directed against anyone, nor against any state in the region," Peskov said, adding that military cooperation between Russia and China contributes, according to Moscow, to regional predictability and security.
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