S. Korea, China plan joint naval training

BEIJING, April 24 (UPI) -- A joint South Korea-China naval rescue drill is planned for September off the coast of Shanghai, the Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday.

The drill will begin when a South Korean vessel carrying naval cadets visits Shanghai on a training mission, the report said.

The agreement was reached in Beijing between South Korean Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and his Chinese host Cao Gangchuan. The two also agreed to set up hotlines between their navies and air forces by the end of the year, Yonhap reported.

"The hotlines will likely be established at operation command-level units of the countries' navies and air forces to reduce time to share information and cope with any emergency situation," a South Korean official in the delegation was quoted as saying.