The China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation 2024 joint maritime exercise officially kicked off on Sunday morning at a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong province.

This marks the third time that China and Singapore have conducted such a maritime joint exercise, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency.

Compared to the previous two exercises, this year's drill features a longer duration and a wider range of training subjects, the report said. The exercise is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.

The participating forces, including China's guided-missile frigate Sanya and minesweeper Hejian, and the Singaporean navy's No 72 frigate, gathered on Thursday at a military port in Zhanjiang, according to Xinhua.

In recent years, the navies of China and Singapore have frequently conducted mutual visits and joint training exercises.