China’s maritime police send two ships to Russia for joint patrols

BEIJING, September 13. /TASS/. Two ships of China’s maritime police headed to Russia’s territorial waters for joint patrols and drills in the north Pacific, China’s Coast Guard said.
On WeChat, the agency specified that the vessels Meishan and Xiushan sailed to Russia on Friday. Together with the Russian side, they plan to work on reacting more effectively to maritime security threats and conducting joint search-and-rescue operations.
“The Sino-Russian drills and joint patrols are not directed against any third sides and have nothing to do with the current international and regional situation,” it said in a statement.
According to China’s Coast Guard, such events “aim to bolster and expand friendly and pragmatic cooperation” between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies. The key task is “shaping and enhancing” relevant planning and coordinating mechanisms and “boosting the skills of jointly counteracting any threats to maritime security,” the agency concluded.