Crew members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer Kaifeng, after taking part in joint patrols with Russian Navy ships in the Pacific Ocean, stand on deck upon arrival at the port of Vladivostok, Russia, on July 28, 2026. The Russian and Chinese navies completed their sixth joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean, a mission that lasted two weeks. Photo: VCG

The Chinese and Russian naval task force participating in the maritime joint patrol arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday, marking the conclusion of the joint patrol, according to China's Ministry of National Defense. 

The task force departed from Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, on July 13 and sailed through the Miyako Strait, Vries (Etorofu) Strait and La Pérouse (Soya) Strait, conducting joint patrols in waters including the western Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, the ministry said on Wednesday.

The joint patrol task force consisted of the Chinese Navy guided missile destroyers Kaifeng and Anshan, the comprehensive supply ship Kekexilihu, and the Russian navy corvette Rezky.

During the patrol, the Chinese and Russian navies conducted a series of drills, including ship-borne helicopter cross-deck landings, joint counter-terrorism operations, humanitarian rescue exercises, and maritime inspection and boarding operations. Chinese vessels also conducted a number of realistic combat-oriented drills by setting up scenarios based on the prevailing maritime and air situation, the ministry said. 

The joint patrol was arranged under the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries. It aims to enhance the two militaries' joint operational capabilities and jointly address maritime security threats, and is unrelated to the current international and regional situation, the ministry noted. 

Global Times