Maritime authorities in China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday launched their first joint patrol on the Yalu River, located on the border of the two countries.

The action, aimed at maintaining navigation order along the river, was conducted by Maritime Safety Administration of Dandong City, China's northeastern Liaoning Province, and its counterpart in DPRK's P'yonganbuk-do.

Three vessels from China and two vessels from the DPRK inspected about 92 km along the river and cleared ships and fishing boats hindering the normal flow of ships around the river's Dadong Port, according to the Dandong Maritime Safety Administration.

In April this year, maritime authorities of the two countries signed a cooperative agreement on the management of the Yalu River. In the agreement, the two sides vowed to conduct joint patrols and rescue on the river.