China and Myanmar's navies conduct joint drill

Chinese navy ships are visiting Myanmar and will conduct communications, search and rescue, and other joint exercises with the Myanmar navy, China's defense ministry said on Saturday.

The ships arrived in Yangon on Thursday for a four-day visit, spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.

China will strengthen strategic communication and deepen cooperation with Myanmar, while making joint efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability, and promote bilateral ties, he added.

The visiting ships consist of the missile destroyer Changchun, missile frigate Jingzhou and supply ship Chaohu from the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The ship visit started the day China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed to a framework for the South China Sea code of conduct.

It also came after Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in Beijing earlier this week during the Belt and Road Forum.

The trio of Chinese ships set sail from Shanghai on April 23 and will visit about 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania on a 180-day voyage—the longest goodwill visit with the greatest number of countries to be visited that the PLA Navy has ever made.