China, Saudi Arabia to hold joint naval drills next month: Beijing

China and Saudi Arabia will hold their second-ever joint naval drills next month, Beijing's defence ministry announced Thursday, as China forges deeper ties with the Middle Eastern power. The drills, dubbed "Blue Sword 2023", will take place in China's southern province of Guangdong in October, Beijing said. The two countries previously held joint naval drills in 2019, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.