ANKARA

Chinese and Russian naval vessels "recently" conducted their fourth joint maritime patrol in the western and northern Pacific Ocean, the Defense Ministry in Beijing said in a statement on Sunday.

The patrol, it added, was not directed at a third party and had nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.

This is part of the Joint Sea-2024 exercise, which began on Friday in the waters and airspace near Zhanjiang in southern China's Guangdong province.

The drill adhered to the annual military engagement plan as well as the bilateral agreement between the two armed forces, it said.