Chinese and Russian naval forces have wrapped up several days of joint military exercises in the Yellow Sea (the semi-enclosed sea between China and the Korean Peninsula), according to Russia's Defence Ministry. The drills, which launched on 6 July from the port of Qingdao in China's Shandong province, included live-fire artillery exercises, anti-submarine operations, surface combat manoeuvres, and simulated defence against drone attacks. The exercises signal continued deepening of military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions with the West.