BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China is conducting a joint naval exercise with Southeast Asian countries from Wednesday to Friday, a spokesperson said at a press conference Thursday.

The exercise is taking place in nearby sea areas and airspace of Qingdao, an eastern coastal city, with focus on jointly handling pirate threats and maritime emergency rescues, according to Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense.

The exercise will help improve the understanding and trust among the navies, deepen their cooperation on the defense and security on the sea, and contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and stability, he said.