Russia, China to hold joint naval drills

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian warships have set off to take part in a joint naval exercise with China, an exercise that showcases increasingly close defense ties between the two countries. The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that the Varyag missile cruiser, the Marshal Shaposhnikov destroyer and two corvettes of Russia’s Pacific Fleet left to take part in maneuvers in the East China Sea starting Wednesday. The ministry says the Chinese navy plans to deploy several surface warships and a submarine for the exercise. Moscow and Beijing have displayed their growing military cooperation in recent months as both face tensions with the United States.