Russian naval deputy chief of staff Rear Admiral Leonid Sukhanov announced in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Sunday the official start of the joint exercise with the Chinese navy.

Ding Yiping, deputy commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, delivered exercise tasks.

This marks the first naval drill between China and Russia, following four military exercises involving the two nations since 2005.

The April 22-27 drill, taking place in the Yellow Sea off China's east coast, involves a total of 16 vessels and two submarines from Chinese navy and four warships from Russian navy's Pacific Fleet as well as three supply ships being summoned for the exercise.

The exercise will focus on joint maritime air defense and defense of marine traffic arteries, including subjects of joint escort, maritime search and rescue, anti-submarine tactics as well as joint effort to rescue hijacked vessels.

(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2012)