China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA
China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA
Singapore
China /  Diplomacy

China and Asean to go ahead with first joint naval exercise in sign of greater engagement

Details of the exercise were not given, but observers say it points to an emerging view among the 10-nation bloc that China ‘is not the enemy’

Topic |   Singapore
Sarah Zheng
Sarah Zheng

Updated: 2:55pm, 20 Jul, 2018

Why you can trust SCMP
China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA
China’s defence minister, Chang Wanquan (centre), at the Asean defence ministers meeting in the Philippines. Chang and his Singaporean counterpart agreed to hold the first maritime exercise between China and the 10-member Asean bloc. Photo: EPA
READ FULL ARTICLE