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China, Cambodia to hold joint military drill as Beijing restarts military exchanges
- PLA troops to take part in ‘Golden Dragon-2023’ exercise in Cambodia later this month
- Event is part of a busy calendar of war games as countries restart joint exercises post-Covid
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China is set to take part in another post-Covid joint military exercise when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) restarts drills with Cambodia, according to Chinese state media reports.
CCTV said the “Golden Dragon-2023” exercise would take place in Cambodia from late March to early April, and a PLA group would set sail for the event on the Jinggangshan, a Type 071 amphibious landing ship, from a port in Guangdong province on Wednesday.
The drill will follow the China-Iran-Russia “Security Ties – 2023” joint naval exercise, which continues in the Gulf of Oman until March 19.
Cambodia, a traditional ally of China in Southeast Asia, will mobilise about 3,000 personnel for the drill, while China’s Southern Theatre Command will dispatch more than 200 troops from the PLA Navy, ground forces and the Joint Logistic Support Force. It will also send more than 300 military vehicles and other pieces of equipment designed for mine clearing, explosive removal and epidemic control.
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The exercise would “further advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Cambodia, enhance political mutual trust, expand military exchanges, and boost the anti-terrorism and humanitarian aid capabilities of the two militaries”, the report said.
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Aside from humanitarian work, the two sides would also carry out cultural exchanges, the Chinese Ministry of National Defence said.
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