China, Cambodia hold first naval drills in Cambodian waters
WORLD 21 March 2023 - 08:00
China and Cambodia have begun their first-ever naval drills in Cambodian waters.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defence said the drills — dubbed China-Cambodia Golden Dragon 2023 — involving personnel from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Military Command began on March 19, Al Jazeera reports.
The Chinese navy ship Jinggangshan, which brought the troops to Cambodia, carried out an exercise with two patrol boats of the Royal Cambodian Navy and established communications before practising coordinated navigation in different formations, the Chinese state-run Global Times reported on Monday, citing the PLA command.
The Jinggangshan is a Type 071 landing ship that travelled to Cambodia from Zhanjiang in southern China.
“In the two-hour navigation and communication exercise with the Cambodian navy, our organisation and command were precise, coordination was close, and communications were smooth,” Captain Xu Jinfeng, the commanding officer of the Jinggangshan, said in a report by state-run China Central Television (CCTV).
The Golden Dragon exercises will continue until April 8 and include more than 3,000 personnel and 300 vehicles from both sides, according to Chinese state media.
Cambodia’s deepening relationship with China has raised concern in the United States and Australia, as well as among some of its neighbours in Southeast Asia who, like China, have claims to the South China Sea.
In 2022, the two countries agreed on a two-year Chinese-funded project to revamp Cambodia’s Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand, and Phnom Penh has since dismantled facilities there that were built partly with money from the US.
China has been increasingly assertive over its claim to almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international court ruling that found its so-called ‘nine-dash line’ to be without merit.
It has turned rocky outcrops into military posts and deployed its maritime militia and coast guard.
Last month, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest after calling on China to cease “aggressive activities” after the Chinese coastguard used a “military-grade laser” to try to block one of its ships at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
The dispute over the resource-rich waters — and Phnom Penh’s close relationship with Beijing — has sometimes proved a source of friction in Cambodia’s relationship with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Caliber.Az
1
|
Netanyahu's future, Armenia's arms race and common foes of Azerbaijan and Israel Caliber.Az talks to Peter Lukimson
16 March 2024 - 12:27
|
2
|
Armenia's former defence minister raises concerns over faulty Indian weapons
18 March 2024 - 13:59
|
3
|
France: A country that pays tribute to terrorism Turkophobic "Nemesis" hero honoured in Marseille
16 March 2024 - 14:50
|
4
|
UN supports Azerbaijan’s initiatives in combating mine threat
16 March 2024 - 14:34
|
5
|
NATO's strategic dance in the South Caucasus Balancing act for Baku & Moscow
18 March 2024 - 11:25
|
Defence giant ASELSAN unveils revolutionary solution for Turkish Navy
VIDEO19 March 2024 - 13:34
EU agrees to sanction 30 Russians over Alexei Navalny's death
19 March 2024 - 13:22
What's on the agenda of Xi Jinping's visit to France?
19 March 2024 - 13:11
Armenia, NATO mull relations between Baku, Yerevan
19 March 2024 - 13:10
Trump says Prince Harry could be deported from US over drug use
19 March 2024 - 13:01
Armenian MP calls 4 villages Azerbaijani settlements
They do not belong to us19 March 2024 - 12:58
How COP29 can drive investments in renewables to shape a sustainable future?
Ecologist assessment19 March 2024 - 12:50
President Biden pushes for ceasefire in talks with Israeli PM Netanyahu
19 March 2024 - 12:39
NATO Secretary General arrives in Yerevan
19 March 2024 - 12:28
Blinken in Manila as South China Sea tensions rise
19 March 2024 - 12:17
To have peace, Europe must prepare for war, EU council president says
19 March 2024 - 12:06
Azerbaijan continues to rid Khankendi of Armenian-left weapons
19 March 2024 - 11:54
EU foreign ministers reiterate support for Armenia
19 March 2024 - 11:44
The Sun: Princess Catherine spotted in public for first time in three months
19 March 2024 - 11:33
Armenian PM calls for diplomatic approach in border dispute with Azerbaijan
Address to Tavush residents19 March 2024 - 11:23
Israel strikes military targets near Damascus - Syrian MoD
19 March 2024 - 11:12
American journalist: NATO's Stoltenberg not antagonistic to Baku's interests
19 March 2024 - 11:01
EU looks forward to working with Azerbaijan to ensure success of COP29
19 March 2024 - 10:51
Russia destroys Ukrainian drones over Belgorod, Voronezh regions
19 March 2024 - 10:40
US crude oil exports hit record high in 2023
19 March 2024 - 10:29
Azerbaijani community protests UK Parliament's hearing on Armenians' resettlement from Karabakh
19 March 2024 - 10:19
South Korean defence chief says North Korea sent 7,000 munitions containers to Russia
19 March 2024 - 10:08
Most Armenian banks to stop accepting Russian Mir cards
19 March 2024 - 09:57
Armenian leading party wants to grant unlimited rights, arrest ban to EU observers
19 March 2024 - 09:46
Poland, Germany announce plans for joint rapid reaction force
Including "armoured coalition" for Ukraine19 March 2024 - 09:35
Jens Stoltenberg: NATO, Azerbaijan nearing agreement on new partnership framework
19 March 2024 - 09:24
Pashinyan says demarcating border with Azerbaijan enters practical phase
19 March 2024 - 09:14
EU - Egypt strategic partnership and implications for North Africa
Money for stability19 March 2024 - 09:00
Georgia's breakaway region is "discussing" becoming part of Russia
19 March 2024 - 08:46
Kremlin: The only way to protect Russia is to create a buffer zone with Ukraine
19 March 2024 - 07:15
EU Reporter: The EU’s “Strategy for Central Asia” lacks sincerity
19 March 2024 - 05:44
Iran parliament and Assembly of Experts' elections
Hardliners on the rise19 March 2024 - 04:01
South Korea hosted summit warns of AI risks to democracy
19 March 2024 - 02:26
Newsweek: Drone attack on helicopter in Moldova raises questions
19 March 2024 - 01:00
Iran inks big deals to develop six oil fields
18 March 2024 - 23:44
NATO boss backs Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks during Baku visit
18 March 2024 - 22:15
EU to boost military support fund for Ukraine by 5 bln euros
Hungarian FM says18 March 2024 - 21:15
Azerbaijan, Iraq discuss economic cooperation
18 March 2024 - 21:05
Azerbaijan, China maintain friendly, partnership relations
18 March 2024 - 21:00
Georgian PM, NATO Sec Gen discuss Euro-Atlantic integration, cooperation
18 March 2024 - 20:55