VLADIVOSTOK. July 9 (Interfax) - The Sovershenny corvette of the Russian Pacific Fleet and a unit of warships from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy practiced inspecting a vessel during a joint naval patrol mission in the Philippine Sea, the Russian fleet's press service said in a statement.
"During an exercise that focused on inspecting a suspicious vessel, the Russian and Chinese crews practiced joint actions by inspection groups. The PLA Navy's Hengshui frigate posed as the suspicious vessel, which was stopped on a request in line with the exercise plan," the statement sad.
Shipborne helicopters were scrambled from the Chinese Navy's Yinchuan destroyer and the Sovershenny corvette to provide support from the air.
After boarding the vessel, Russian and Chinese servicemen from the inspection teams practiced joint actions, during which they checked the premises, documents and the cargo.
The vessel's captain "was arrested" after weapons were allegedly found on board.
The joint patrol aims to strengthen bilateral naval cooperation, maintain peace and stability in the Asia Pacific, monitor the waters, and protect maritime economic facilities of Russia and China. The first joint patrol was carried out in 2021.