All-weather friends China and Pakistan on Sunday kicked off their 'Sea Guardians-2' drills off the Shanghai coast by deploying their new high-tech naval ships and fighter jets to "jointly deal with maritime security threats," as their navies stepped up cooperation in India's backyard, the Indian Ocean.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and the Pakistan Navy, will hold the joint naval exercise in maritime and aerial spaces off Shanghai in mid-July, Captain Liu Wensheng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy, said in a statement.
The two navies held an opening ceremony for the second edition of the Sea Guardian drills on Sunday, official media here reported.
The exercise is a "normal arrangement according to an annual schedule, and it is not aimed at a third party," Liu said.
The PLA Eastern Theatre Command Navy sent the frigate Xiangtan, the corvette Shuozhou, the comprehensive supply ship Qiandaohu, a submarine, an early warning aircraft, two fighter jets and a helicopter for the drill while the Pakistan Navy's frigate Taimur joined the exercise, state-run Global Times reported.
Taimur is the second of four powerful Type 054A/P frigates built by China. It was delivered to the Pakistan Navy in Shanghai on June 23. The first ship in the Type 054A/P-class, the Tughril, joined the Pakistan Navy Fleet in January, according to the daily's report.
Themed "jointly dealing with maritime security threats," the exercise will feature training courses including the joint strike...
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