Chinese navy in Yellow Sea drills after joint air patrol with Russia

Defence ministry says navy fleet including guided-missile destroyer and frigates took part in ‘multiple days’ of training

Announcement comes days after South Korea and Japan scrambled fighter jets in response to Chinese, Russian warplanes

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Chinese warships including a Xining destroyer have been conducting drills in the Yellow Sea, the defence ministry says. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 19 Dec 2023

The Chinese navy has been conducting drills in the Yellow Sea that separates China and the Korean peninsula, the country’s defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The announcement came just days after South Korea and Japan said they had scrambled fighter jets in response to a joint patrol by Chinese and Russian aircraft.

A navy fleet from the People’s Liberation Army Northern Theatre Command took part in “multiple days of continuous at-sea training”, the Chinese defence ministry said in the statement.

It said the fleet included a guided-missile destroyer and three frigates with air defence and anti-submarine missiles.

China’s defence ministry did not disclose the date or location of the drills but said they involved missile and naval gunfire attacks, air and marine defence exercises, and reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance training to “strengthen the cooperation capabilities” of the vessels.

It follows the joint exercise on December 14 by Chinese and Russian aircraft in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea.

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