(In paragraph 10, corrects to say .. this month ..not.. next month)
(Reuters) -China and Malaysia will hold a joint military exercise this month in the Southeast Asian nation and nearby waters, focused on measures such as disaster relief and combating piracy, the Chinese defence ministry and an affiliated media outlet said.
The regular drills are part of Beijing’s efforts to build closer defence cooperation with Southeast Asian nations, despite tension in the region over contested areas in the busy waterway of the South China Sea.
Participating forces set out on Wednesday from China’s military ports in Zhanjiang, Sanya, and Hong Kong, for the exercise scheduled from October 15 to 23, said the outlet, the China Military Bugle.
More than 1,000 personnel from both sides, including over 700 of them from China, will participate, along with equipment from vessels and helicopters to unmanned systems, added the outlet, affiliated to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The sixth exercise of its kind will focus on “humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and maritime security,” with observers from other members of the ASEAN grouping invited, the Chinese defence ministry said earlier on Wednesday.
It aimed to deepen practical cooperation between the Chinese and Southeast Asian militaries, boost their capability to jointly tackle non-traditional security threats, and maintain regional peace and stability, the ministry added.
Malaysia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2023, China hosted the fifth such exercise with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam joining.
China claims sovereignty almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Malaysia is preparing to host the annual ASEAN summit this month, where the bloc’s leaders are expected to discuss progress on a planned code of conduct on the South China Sea.
It will also host a meeting of ASEAN defence ministers and regional counterparts from October 30 to November 2.
(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Additional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Comments