China said on Friday it was conducting joint military drills with Russia along its southern coast.

The Defence Ministry said the two militaries had begun the exercises, called Joint Sea-2024, in early July, and they would last until the middle of this month.

The drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, in Guangdong province, are "to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability", the ministry said.

It added that the exercises "will further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era".

Chinese forces are also staging drills this week with Belarus near Poland.

Meanwhile, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Zhao Leji, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg.

Putin said he's looking forward to President Xi Jinping attending the BRICS summit in Kazan in October. (AFP and agencies)