WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US and Chinese navies intend to hold joint exercises to improve cooperation in disaster relief and to fight piracy, the US Department of State said in a press release on Tuesday upon the conclusion of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
"The two navies plan to work toward an agreement to conduct substantive exercises in conjunction with agreed upon port visits to cooperate during natural disaster or counter-piracy operations," the press release stated.
On June 2, Chinese Navy spokesman Liang Yang confirmed that a Chinese destroyer, missile frigate, supply ship, hospital ship, submarine rescue vessel and two helicopters would take part in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational maritime exercise hosted by the United States.
China previously participated in RIMPAC in 2014. Its participation in this year’s exercise had earlier been in doubt due to tensions in the South China Sea and an expansion of the US military presence in the Asia Pacific.
