Chinese fleet departs for Sino-Russian joint naval drills (5/9)

Officers and soldiers of Chinese navy take part in a ceremony for the departure of a fleet in the port of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, July 1, 2013. A Chinese fleet consisting of seven naval vessels departed from east China's harbor city of Qingdao on Monday to participate in Sino-Russian joint naval drills scheduled for July 5 to 12. The eight-day maneuvers will focus on joint maritime air defense, joint escorts and marine search and rescue operations. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)