People attend a seeing-off ceremony for Chinese and Russian warships heading to take part in the Northern/Interaction-2024 joint naval and air drills in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, in Vladivostok on September 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

Chinese and Russian militaries on Friday concluded an 18-day joint exercise in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk before launching their fifth joint maritime patrol in Pacific waters, as experts expect more military interactions in the future.

A closing ceremony for the Northern/Interaction-2024 exercise took place aboard the PLA Navy's destroyer Xining at the joint operation headquarters on Friday, the PLA Navy said in a press release on the day.

The exercise focused on joint maritime defense, with both sides' forces enhancing their capabilities in handling complex and realistic scenarios, according to the press release.

The exercise featured training courses including sea-air escort, alert defense, anti-aircraft and fire strike. The combat-oriented exercise reached its intended goals, the PLA Navy said.

The Northern/Interaction-2024 exercise was launched on September 10, with China and Russia jointly deploying over 10 warships and 30 plus aircraft to conduct drills in waters and airspaces in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, according to Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense.

The exercise tested both sides' capabilities in tactical command coordination and joint operation, deepened the strategic cooperation between the two militaries, and contributed positive forces to the safeguard of peace and stability in the region, as well as the tackling of security challenges, Zhang Xiaogang said at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Following the exercise, a China-Russia warship flotilla would conduct a joint maritime patrol in Pacific waters, the spokesperson said.

Chinese naval expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times that this is the first time China and Russia are conducting two joint maritime patrols within one year, reflecting a high level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries' militaries.

The two countries' navies held their fourth joint maritime patrol in July this year. The first three such joint maritime patrols were held in October 2021, September 2022 and July 2023, according to official releases.

Dmitrii Stefanovich, a research fellow at Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations under the Russian Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times in a recent interview that there is a gradual growth of China-Russia military cooperation, including symbolic operations such as joint bomber patrols and joint naval exercises.

"I believe that there will be more frequent exercises," Stefanovich said.