VLADIVOSTOK, September 18. /TASS/. A group of Chinese warships has arrived in Russia’s Far Eastern port of Vladivostok to participate in the second stage of the joint naval drills dubbed Maritime Cooperation-2017, Spokesman for Russia’s Pacific Fleet Captain First Rank Vladimir Matveyev said. According to him, Russian and Chinese crews greeted each other with an international salute.

"Upon entering the port of Vladivostok, the group of ships of the Chinese Naval Forces greeted the Russian Navy with an international salute," Matveyev said. "The Shijiazhuang destroyer, which leads the group, fired a 21-gun salute. In response, mariners of the Pacific Fleet welcomed the Chinese with an artillery salute," he added.

The second stage of the Russian-Chinese naval drills will take place on September 18-26 at the Russian Pacific Fleet’s base. The coastal stage, scheduled to be held in Vladivostok on September 18-21, will involve Russian and Chinese marines. The sea stage will take place in the Sea of Japan and the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk on September 22-26.

The first stage of the joint naval exercises was held in the Baltic Sea in July.