China holds navy drills

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Two Chinese naval fleets conducted joint military exercises in the South China Sea to test emergency combat capabilities, state television CCTV reported.

The exercise, conducted during day- and night-time hours, involved the deployment of marine corps helicopters, landing ships, tanks, infantry combat vehicles, and speedboats, CCTV said.

The navy practised troop deployment from helicopters, the boarding of ships from speedboats, and docking and deployment of amphibious tanks from a landing ship, state media reported.

In the face of increasing tensions in the East China Sea prompted by the Sino-Japanese territorial disputes, both China and Japan have recently held a number of military drills to display each country's combative strength.