Joint Military Operations Surprise

China and France staged their biggest joint naval exercises to "They are the most comprehensive military exercises ever held between China and a foreign country," said Ju Xinchun, captain of the Chinese guided missile destroyer "Harbin."

The exercises lasted about 8 hours and involved about 700 seamen. They were jointly led by Zhang Panhong, chief of the general staff of the North China Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy, and Louis De Contenson, navy commander of the French Pacific Military Region.