The opening was announced by the Russian and Chinese exercise directors, Rear Admiral Sergey Sinko and Rear Admiral Qiu Wensheng.
The official opening ceremony took place at a naval base of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) , a TASS correspondent reported.
In his remarks, Sinko stressed that the drills are defensive in nature and are not directed against any third country.
Following the ceremony, staff officers and commanding officers from both countries began discussing tactical operations at sea, as well as the execution of search-and-rescue and other missions.
The drills will take place in the Yellow Sea from July 6 to July 13. Sailors from the Russian Navy and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, supported by naval aviation, will practice joint search-and-rescue operations, anti-submarine warfare, and air defense missions, as well as conduct joint artillery firing exercises. One stage of the drills will involve training to rescue the crew of a simulated distressed submarine, using a deep-submergence rescue vehicle.