China, Russia to conduct joint naval exercise

BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Russian navies will conduct a joint exercise from April 29 to May 4, a spokesperson said at a press conference Thursday.

The exercise will take place in nearby sea areas and airspace of Qingdao, an eastern coastal city, and will focus on joint sea defense, according to Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense.

It aims to consolidate and develop the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia, deepen pragmatic naval cooperation, and improve the handling of safety threats at sea, he said.

The exercise does not target any third party, Ren said.