TOKYO: A Chinese navy destroyer conducted live-fire drills in waters southwest of Japan's remote Okinotori Island early on Sunday while operating alongside Russian naval vessels, Japan's Joint Staff said.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted four vessels - a Chinese Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer, a Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer, a Fuchi-class replenishment ship and a Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate - sailing northeast about 330 km (205 miles) southwest of Okinotori at around 2 a.m. on July 19 (1700 GMT on July 18), the Joint Staff said in a statement on Tuesday.