BEIJING: China and Cambodia launched the “Golden Dragon-2025” joint exercise, after the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream was officially inaugurated and put into operation on Saturday. An expert said on Sunday that the two countries will likely conduct more joint drills using this center in the future, contributing to bilateral and military relations as well as regional peace and stabil-ity.
In conjunction with the inauguration ceremony, the Chinese and Cambodian militaries organized the launch event for the “Golden Dragon-2025” joint exercise at the center. This marked an important demonstration of the center’s role in promoting China-Cambodia friendship and deepening military cooperation, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.
During the exercise, warships from both sides conducted training exercises, including formation ma-neuvering, maritime communication, and equipment drills, further enhancing their joint command and coordinated operational capabilities. This has laid a solid foundation for future multi-service joint train-ing involving land, sea, and air forces, reported CCTV.
The “Golden Dragon” series of joint exercises is a regular military cooperation program between China and Cambodia, which is conducive to strengthening the ironclad friendship between the two countries and improving strategic coordination between their militaries. So far, the exercise has been successful-ly held six times, CCTV reported.
“This marks the first time the ‘Golden Dragon’ series joint exercises have been conducted at the newly established joint center at Port Ream, serving as a measure to maintain regional stability,” Chinese mil-itary affairs expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times on Sunday.
With China’s assistance in its construction, the naval port now boasts relatively comprehensive facilities capable of providing corresponding support for naval operations, Fu said, noting that the joint exercise further enhances mutual trust and understanding in maritime and naval cooperation between the two countries.
In the future, such exercises are likely to increase in frequency, involving not only naval but also land and air elements. Through these drills, China can strengthen friendly exchanges with other countries and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Fu said.
CCTV’s Sunday report on the joint exercise came after the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream was officially inaugurated and put into operation on Saturday. China’s Ministry of National Defense announced in a statement that the center will support joint operations between the two militaries in areas such as counterterrorism, disaster prevention and relief, humanitarian assis-tance, and training.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and a delegation of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attended the ceremony, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Saturday.
At the ceremony, the Chinese and Cambodian sides emphasized that the construction and operation of the center were the result of mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia, which is conducive to further strengthening the practical cooperation between the two militaries, bet-ter fulfilling international obligations and providing international public security products, Xinhua re-ported.
Both sides expressed willingness to continue to work together to comprehensively deepen coopera-tion in joint exercises and training, talent training, equipment technology and other fields, continuous-ly consolidate and develop the relationship between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, and jointly maintain regional security and stability, Xinhua reported.
Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the joint center is unlike the PLA’s support base in Djibouti, which is used and maintained by the PLA independently. The China-Cambodia joint center is built and used by both sides, and its smooth operations are maintained by both sides. In addition to logistical support, it also includes joint training functions, which help advance Cambodia’s military modernization. This also counters rumors from certain Western countries alleging that China is secretly building a PLA-exclusive naval base in Cambodia, Zhang said. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
