MOSCOW, July 6 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said that joint naval drills between Russia and China which kicked off on Monday in the waters and airspace off the Chinese city of Qingdao were not directed against any other country and would boost regional security.
The annual drills are due to run from July 6 to 13 and Russia has sent a cruiser, a corvette, a diesel-electric submarine and a rescue vessel from its Pacific Fleet to take part, Russia's state RIA news agency reported.
Russia's Rear Admiral Sergei Sinko said at the drill's opening ceremony on Monday that the exercises would take naval cooperation between Moscow and Beijing to a new level, while stressing that the exercises were defensive in nature.
Asked if the exercises might provoke a negative reaction from governments in the Asia-Pacific region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
"As for our joint exercises, they are not directed against anyone, nor against any single state in the region. Everyone should bear this in mind.
"On the contrary, cooperation between Russia and China in such an important and critical area is a very significant factor that contributes to predictability and security in the region.”
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov Editing by Andrew Osborn)
