The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement today, Saturday, that Russian and Chinese warships conducted their first joint patrols in the western part of the Pacific Ocean on October 17 and 23.
"A group of ships crossed the Tsugaru Strait for the first time in the framework of patrols," the Russian Defense Ministry added in the statement, and considers the strait to be international waters.
"The tasks of these patrols are to demonstrate the sciences of Russia and China, to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and to protect the maritime economic activities of the two countries," she said.
During the patrol, the ships covered a distance of more than 1.7 thousand nautical miles, and for the first time crossed the Tsugaru Strait separating the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. During the patrol, Russian and Chinese sailors also trained to carry out a tactical maneuver and conducted a series of exercises.
A Chinese navy ship takes part in the exercises in the Pacific Ocean (Reuters)
The two countries held naval cooperation exercises in the Sea of Japan earlier this October and have strengthened their military and diplomatic ties in recent years at a time when their relations with the West have soured.
Japan has monitored the naval exercises closely, and last week said a group of 10 ships from China and Russia had crossed the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Japan's main island from the northern island of Hokkaido.
The maneuvers come in the wake of the signing of a new security partnership agreement by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia on September 16, known as the "Ocos Security Pact", which they said was to protect their interests in the Indo-Pacific.
The agreement angered China, which showed a strong reaction to it, and Russia requested clarifications from the United States, Australia and Britain regarding it.