The Chinese navy sent the Type 055 destroyer Nanchang, the Type 054A frigate Yancheng and the Type 903 Dongpinghu supply ship to conduct air-defence live-fire drills with the Russian navy in the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the eve of the 77th anniversary of Japan’s formal surrender in World War II, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday as quoted by South China Morning Post.

Relationships between China and Japan have hit low points in recent times.

Ties have been particularly strained since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei last month, prompting Beijing to carry out unprecedented missile tests around Taiwan, with five falling into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

China has denied the missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone because the two nations had not agreed on the zone’s limits, the newspaper reported.

The naval drill in the Sea of Japan is part of the Russia-organised Vostok 2022 war games, which will last until Wednesday.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent more than 2,000 army, navy, and air force troops under the Northern Theatre Command. In addition to the three-ship flotilla, more than 300 military vehicles and 21 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters will take part in the week-long exercise.