China and Russia will hold a joint naval drill in the disputed South China Sea in September, Chinese Defence Ministry announced on Thursday, days after an international tribunal struck down Beijing’s expansive claims over the strategic waters.
Navies of China and Russia will hold a joint drill in South China Sea in September, Yang Yujun of spokesperson Defence Ministry said.
The drill, codenamed Joint Sea-2016, is a product of the consensus reached by the two sides, Yang said. Though the navies of the two countries have been holding annual exercises, this year’s exercises come in the backdrop of a tribunal appointed by the Permanent court of Arbitration struck down China’s claims all most all over the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines rights over the area.
Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan opposed China’s claims.