China, Singapore hold 5-day maritime drills

China and Singapore are holding joint naval exercises, for the first time in waters around the Chinese mainland.

This is the third "China-Singapore Cooperation" naval exercise which began on Sunday, Chinese Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Compared to the previous two exercises, the drills feature a longer-duration, expanded exercise topics, and deepened information exchange, focusing on exchanges in professional fields, it said.

It separates port planning, professional exchanges, and joint sea exercises into three phases.

The exercise will continue until Thursday.

China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation 2024 is the first bilateral joint exercise held between the Chinese and Singaporean navies in China.