OREANDA-NEWS. The navies of China and Russia will hold a joint drill in South China Sea in September aimed at strengthening cooperation, China’s Defense Ministry said.

The two neighbours reached consensus on the drill, codenamed Joint Sea-2016, a spokesperson said.

“This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership,” China’s defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a regular monthly news conference.

“The exercise is not directed against third parties.”

“These drills deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation, raise the ability to jointly deal with security threats, and benefit the maintenance of regional and global peace and stability,” he said.