A ship-borne helicopter attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the PLA Northern Theater Command lifts off from the flight deck of the guided-missile frigate Yantai (Hull 538) during a maritime cooperative training exercise in waters of the Yellow Sea in late July. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

A far sea training task force of three advanced warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy conducted joint maritime drills with the Republic of Singapore Navy in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a move that, according to experts, boosted the two navies' mutual trust and enhanced the level of military cooperation between both countries.

Kicking off the exercise, the PLA Navy task force, featuring the Type 052D guided missile destroyer Hohhot, the Type 054A guided missile frigate Huangshan and the Type 903 comprehensive replenishment ship Luomahu, met up with the Formidable-class frigates RSS Steadfast and RSS Supreme in waters near Singapore, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Thursday.

The two flotillas first established communications, as vessels from both sides sent multiple waves of tactical signals with a success rate of 100 percent, CCTV said.

The warships then practiced navigation in different tactical formations, with the Hohhot on the lead, according to the report, noting that the RSS Supreme also conducted maritime replenishment maneuvers together with the Luomahu.

In another training exercise, Chinese and Singaporean vessel-based helicopters landed and took off from each other's ships, CCTV reported, noting that the exercise was a success.

Senior Captain Dong Renfeng, Chief of Staff of the PLA Navy Far Sea Training Task Force, said that the drill improved the professional communication between the two countries' navies, enhanced mutual trust, deepened friendship and contributed to cooperation, the report mentioned.

A press release by Singapore's Ministry of Defense released on Wednesday said the drills are  regular passage exercises and these aim to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen friendship with foreign navies, enabling the Navy of the Republic of Singapore to keep ties warm with their counterparts, even amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

This is not the first time the two navies have held a joint drill this year. In February, China and Singapore conducted a joint naval exercise in the South China Sea.

China's joint naval exercises with Singapore, a country from within the region of the South China Sea, shows that the two countries have a high level of mutual trust and cooperation which contributes to regional peace and stability, a Chinese military expert who requested to remain anonymous told the Global Times on Thursday.

By comparison, countries from outside of the region, particularly the US and the UK, are sending warships to the South China Sea to flex their muscle and show off presence on their own agendas, which harms regional peace and stability, the expert said.