China and Southeast Asian states started their first joint maritime exercises on Monday in an effort to ease regional tensions linked to rival claims in the South China Sea. Eight warships set sail from the port of Zhanjiang, in China’s southern Guangdong province, with 1,200 military personnel taking part in the event, according to CCTV broadcaster. The navies of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to hold the week-long maneuvers as part of efforts to promote stability and ease tensions across the disputed sea. Singapore, which is co-organizing the event, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines deployed ships to participate in the exercise, AFP reported. Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar sent observers.