China and Russia will start an eight-day joint naval exercise from Monday, which for the first time will take place in the South China Sea for the first time, according to a Chinese navy spokesman.

The drill, "Joint Sea-2016", will feature naval surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters marine corps and amphibious armored equipment from both navies, spokesman Liang Yang said on Sunday.

The naval exercise will be held in the eastern waters of Zhanjiang, the southernmost city of Guangdong province, where the Nanhai Fleet under the People's Liberation Army Navy is headquartered.